


A Loving Home

by JamesBuchananStucky107



Category: Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, Adoption, Affection, Bottom Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Cat Bucky Barnes, Cat/Human Hybrids, Falling In Love, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Kissing, Love, Love Confessions, Love at First Sight, M/M, Making Love, Mpreg, Past Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Steve Rogers, Public Display of Affection, Top Steve Rogers, True Love's Kiss, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-08-27 04:23:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 46
Words: 51,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8387053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamesBuchananStucky107/pseuds/JamesBuchananStucky107
Summary: Steve Roger's is ready to adopt. Not a child, or a pet, but something more. He's looking to adopt a Neko. A rare, yet beautiful half human, half cat hybrid. And with the species growing, everyone wants one. And when Steve hears about them, he decides he wants to adopt his own companion.So he decides to go to the Shield Shelter. Shield specializes in taking care of Nekos who have been abused and neglected by past owners, and putting them in loving homes. Steve is excited to adopt and give the hybrid he picks, a loving home. But Steve was never expecting to meet Bucky. A Neko who was horribly abused by  his former owners. Now all Steve wants is to give this Blue eyed beauty, a brand new life, and falls head over heels for him.





	1. Chapter 1

**_WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN GIVE THESE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES A LOVING HOME!_ **

**_Come visit us at Shield. At Shield, our mission is to save and protect these creatures, and help their species continue to flourish. And with YOUR HELP, we can continue to save them and bring their abusers to justice._ **

**_ADOPT TODAY!_ **

I saw this flyer a few days ago during my morning run, some kids were handing them out, and I took one. I've looked at the flyer every for the next couple of weeks, and decided it was time to go there. 

I've heard about people adopting Nekos. Nekos are a rare breed. Half human, half cat hybrids. Their mostly human, but they have more cat like tendencies. The only physical aspects they have, are a tail, and cat ears. I've seen a lot of them around, and I think I wanna adopt my own. 

I've put a lot of thought into it, and I think I'm responsible enough to adopt my own. I have a dog of my own, and I'm pretty sure if I can take care of a dog, I can take care of a Neko.

 

* * *

 

Oh boy today's the day. I'm really excited, but I'm also nervous. I've heard lots of rumors about Nekos. I've heard that them being more than 50% human, they could potentially become very dangerous. I've also heard that they're mainly used as personal sex slaves. But they're just rumors, right?

I pulled into the parking lot of the building, and took a deep breath. I shouldn't be so worked up over this, I'm just gonna go in there, and adopt one. It's not rocket science. I took one more breath before getting out, and closing and locking the doors.

When I walked inside, I was greeted by an almost empty waiting room. The only person here besides me, was a young woman. She looked up at me and smiled. "Hi, welcome to Shield! I'm Natasha. How can I help you?" Natasha was a very attractive young woman with dark red hair down to her shoulders, pale skin, and a thin but curvy frame.

I smiled and said "Yeah um, I'm looking to adopt. She smiled and said "Great! Is there anything in particular that you're looking for in a Neko?" I shook my head and said "Not really, no." She nodded and said "Alright, please follow me."

I followed her down a few hallways, before she said "Almost all of the time, we keep each one separated, and only allow for more than one in the same space for a new mother, siblings, or cases of extreme separation anxiety. Right now, we have all of them in our play facility. We allow them a few hours a day for playtime an exercise, before they go back in their sleeping areas. Since cats spend most of their lives sleeping, that also applies to Nekos."

She opened the door to their playroom, and we walked inside. Suddenly, all movement stopped. All eyes were on us, as I was now in front of at least 10 or so of them. A few of them came forward, but some stayed back, or went back to whatever it was they were doing. The ones who came were a boy and a girl. The boy had silver and black and silver fur on his ears and tail, same wuth his hair. The girl had almost maroon colored fur, and lightish brown hair. 

Natasha said "This is Wanda and Pietro. They survived a bombing and were found trapped in the rubble. They've been here for a couple of months." I smiled and said "Hi." I held out my hand to them, and they leaned in and sniffed at it. I chuckled and Wanda rubbed the back of my hand with her head. Pietro did the same and Natasha said "They like you."

I smiled and she said "Nekos have this weird thing...It's like they can read people. Like they can feel vibes or energies to indicate whether or not a person is good or bad." "So what am I?" "Good. They're usually not shy to talk to people who come in, but they have their bashful moments."

She scratched behind Pietro's ears and he purred. Then he stretched up a little to rub his head against her. I reached out to do the same to Wanda, but she shrunk back and then ran off, causing Pietro to go after her. I looked at Natasha and she said "Don't take it personally, they're all strange." I nodded and we moved on.

There were two of them, fighting over some toy. And they were actually _speaking_ too. "Give it back to me, Loki! It is mine, it has my scent, it belongs to me!" "Oh please, you think every toy in here is yours, you arrogant wart!" Natasha cleared her throat and said "Boy, what have I told you? No fighting over toys. Steve, this is Thor and Loki. They're brothers. Both were just left here by their previous owner." She had pointed at them, and Thor had blond hair and blond fur, while Loki's was pitch black. 

Loki rolled his eyes and said "He started it, he thinks he's the king of the castle." Thor said "Brother, I am the eldest." Natasha gave them a stern look, and they shrank back. They both said sorry, and we continued. 

One ran up to Natasha and furiously rubbed himself against her legs, smiling. Natasha laughed and said "This little Romeo is Clint. Clint's been in here for awhile, and he really likes me. Isn't that right, boy?" Clint nodded and continued rubbing. "Clint was found near starved to death, and I took care of him every day. Now he considers me his best friend." She kissed the top of his head, and he purred and mewled. 

Then I could see one of them sitting in the far corner of the room, curled in a little ball. It looked like they really wanted to keep their distance. This one was a boy, and had dark brown hair, black ears, and a black tail. He was looking at me, but would quickly look away. Hugging his knees closer to his chest.

I asked "What about him?" Natasha followed my gaze and said "Oh. That's Bucky. He came in a few months ago...Poor thing....He's been through hell, I'll tell ya that. He was violently beaten, sexually abused, and brainwashed by his previous owner. Disgusting. His last owner can rot in Hell. Poor baby's lucky to be alive. When we found him, he was bruised up, bleeding, and was missing an arm. Our in house vets made a prosthetic metal arm for him. Ever since then he's had major trust issues. He was brainwashed so bad, he can hardly tell who's good and who's bad anymore.

He trusts only two people in this place. Me, and his friend Sam. Sam was a stray, didn't know where he came from, had no sign of an owner, so we took him in. Sam saw Bucky, and they became friends. They were inseparable. That was the most contact Bucky would do for anyone. But then last month, Sam got adopted...Bucky was heartbroken. He hardly eats, hardly sleeps, and he cries a lot during the night."

Jesus Christ. I shook my head and asked "How could anyone do that? Treat someone so bad." Natasha said "The world is full of horrible people. I just hope someone adopts Bucky. He needs a good home, he really needs it." I nodded and looked back over at him. His eyes were back on me, and I could tell that they were a beautiful shade of blue, from where I was standing. I then looked at Natasha and said "I think I'd like to be that someone." 

 

* * *

 

 

**_Hey guys! So I had this idea for a Neko story, I've wanted to do one for awhile, and right now I just wanna test the waters and see how y'all react to it, I won't be able to work on Come What May or this very much tomorrow, cause my mom and I are gonna be hanging out with my brother (whom I haven't seen for a few months), but I'll try to update as much as I can! :)._ **

 


	2. Chapter 2

Natasha looked at me and asked "You sure?" I nodded and said "Yeah, why not?" She said "He's been through a lot, he's scared, he might lash out at you, he may not say anything for _months_." I said "I'll give him a good home." 

She nodded and said "Alright. Well c'mon." We started walking over towards Bucky, and could hear a small growl building up from inside him. Natasha said "Bucky. Bucky sweetie, this is Steve...Steve wants to adopt you." As we got closer, he tried getting deeper into the corner, but couldn't.

We slowed our pace and I put my hands up. I said "Hi Bucky...I'm Steve...I heard about what's happened to you, and I wanted to let you know, that I'm gonna take care of you..." His growl became louder, and he hissed at me.

I said "I'm not gonna hurt you, Bucky. I wanna take good care of you. Give you a better home. Okay?" I got closer, and he lashed his arm out, nearly scratching me. But I quickly jumped back and Natasha said "Bucky, it's okay. Honey, look at me." He stared at me for a minute, his blue eyes stabbing into me, before looking over at her. She said "It's okay, Bucky. Trust me. Steve is good."

Bucky looked from her to me, but he shook his head no and his ears went flat against his head. Natasha said "I know you're scared, Bucky. What happened to you was horrible, but I swear on my life, that Steve won't hurt you. And if he hurts you, then I'll hurt him."

I looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. She looked back and shrugged a little. We looked back at Bucky, and he looked like he was relaxing a little. I slowly reached my hand out towards him, not wanting to go too fast, and he shrunk back a little. 

I said "It's okay boy." He looked up at me, and slowly came over. I held my hand out for him, and he tilted his head up. He did what Wanda and Pietro did, and sniffed my hand. I smiled and said "He's beautiful." Natasha said "He really is. His eyes are gorgeous. I nodded and said "They are."

Then he looked up at me, and then slightly nudged his head against my hand. Then he shrunk back and I said "Don't worry, Bucky. You'll be safe with me." Natasha said "First, we're gonna take him to our vets for a quick check up, before you take him home." I nodded and said "Okay."

Natasha said "Okay Bucky, times to go see Dr. Banner." He nodded and she said "C'mon sweetie." He nodded and we walked out of the room.

 

* * *

 

"Hey Natasha, what brings you here?" Natasha smiled and said "Bucky's being adopted today. Figured we'd give him one more check up before he goes to a new home. This is Steve, he's adopting Bucky." 

One of them came over and shook my hand. He said "Nice to meet you, Steve. I'm Bruce." I said "Likewise, sir." He said "So you're adopting Bucky?" I nodded and said "Yes sir." He nodded and said "Bucky's gone through quite an ordeal...Myself and my associates have taken care of him for months. He doesn't really like us much, but he knows we're not a threat."

Natasha said "C'mon sweetie, get up on the table." Bucky nodded and climbed up onto the table and just sat down. Bruce said "Hey buddy, how ya doing?" And gently pet Bucky between his ears. Bucky purred, and I smiled. 

"Let's take a look, shall we? Let's start with your ears." Bucky nodded and perked his ears up. Bruce took one of those ear examiner things, and gently put it in his ear. Bruce looked and said "This one looks good...Now the other." and went over and did the same with the other one. Then he said "Alright, good, very good. Open your mouth bud, lets check your teeth."

Bucky nodded and opened his mouth, revealing pearly whites. Apparently Nekos don't have the same teeth that normal cats to. They have normal human teeth, but they have small fangs. Almost like they're Vampires. Bruce had some gloves on, so he would gently move his top and bottom lip out of the way to check his teeth.

Bruce said "Good, very good. Your teeth look perfect. Alright, let's check your fur, see if you need s bath before you leave." Bucky nodded again and Bruce checked his fur, used a comb, and checked the fur on his ears, checked his hair, and then his tail. Although Bruce had to hold his tail down, since it would involuntarily swish back and forth. 

Bruce said "Nope, you're clear. Let's check your weight." Bucky hopped off the table, and went over to a scale. Bruce then turned to us and said "Well um...Do you guys mind turning around? The best way to get an accurate reading for weighing, is if one is completely naked.." We nodded and turned around. I could hear Bruce say "It's alright Bucky." And then Bucky getting out of his clothes. He wasn't naked when we first saw him, all of them were wearing clothes.

Bruce said "Alright, 250. Good, good." Then after a minute, Bruce said "Alright, you guys can turn back around." We turned back and faced them. Bruce said "Bucky is in great shape. No problems, minus he needs to eat more often and get more sleep. His weight is good for a male his age, he's 250 pounds, but in muscle. Just make sure he eats very good, and no junk food. Junk food can be once every week but don't push it. I'd do a stool sample and check his um...His reproductive organs, but with his psst abuse, I've decided against that. Other than that, he's very healthy. Take good care of him."

I nodded and Bruce smiled at Bucky. "It's been a pleasure taking care of you. I hope you find peace and happiness." And patted him on the back. Bucky smiled a little and we walked out. Natasha said "Alright, now I need you to fill out some paperwork real quick, and you'll be all set."


	3. Chapter 3

After I filled the paperwork out, I went up to the desk and handed it to Natasha. She smiled and said "You better be good to him. I wasn't joking about if you hurt him." I nodded and said "I know. So does he need a kennel or something?"

She said "Normally yes, but not with him. He gets scared of being caged up." I nodded and she got up. She walked over to Bucky, who sat a few chairs away from me while I was filling out the paperwork. 

Bucky looked up at her with sad eyes, and she smiled. She sat down next to him and said "Hey buddy...I know you're scared, and you have every right to be. But this man will not hurt you. He is excited to take you home and treat you better than how you've been treated. And you guys can come anytime so we can visit. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" He nodded and she smiled. "Good. You be good, okay?" He nodded and she pet his head.

He mewled and rubbed against her hand. She them stood up and kissed the top of his head. "Bye Bucky...I'll see you soon, okay?" He nodded and said "Okay." She smiled and said "Dammit, I'm gonna cry." He then stood up and pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back and they stayed that way for a couple minutes. I didn't wanna interrupt. She's the only person she has left to trust besides Bruce. But she's the only friend she has left.

Soon they broke the hug, and Natasha looked at me. She smiled and said "See ya soon." I smiled and said "See ya." Then Bucky and I walked to the door. We walked to my car in silence but when we got in, I could hear Bucky silently cry next to me. 

My heart sank and I felt awful. Yes I was taking him to a better hone where he would be treated better, but I was also taking him away from the only friend he had left. I felt like the bad guy. I started up the car and looked over at him. He was staring at the window at Natasha, and was crying. 

I don't think I could possibly make him feel better, since he doesn't trust me for a second. But I didn't just wanna not do anything. I carefully reached out and gently rubbed his upper back. He flinched at the contact, but didn't stop me. He just kept looking at her, and didn't turn around. I did that for a couple minutes, before I pulled out of the spot, and drove off.

 

* * *

 

We didn't say anything the whole ride home. Bucky stated out the window the whole time, and didn't stop crying. His crying wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for me to hear. When we got home, I pulled into the driveway, and shut the car off. 

I got out and quickly ran over to his side and opened his door. I quickly undid his seatbelt and pulled him into a hug. He didn't fight it, he didn't flinch, he just accepted it. He loosely wrapped his arms around me, while I hugged him tight. I stayed there and said "It's okay...It's okay, Bucky." 

After a couple minutes, I broke the hug and looked at him. I said "C'mon, let's get you inside." He looked back at me and nodded. He got out of the car, and I guided him to the front door. After I unlocked it,  we went inside, and I closed and locked the door behind us. 

I guided him to the living room and said "Okay buddy, have a seat." He nodded and sat down on the couch. I squatted down to his level and said "I know you don't trust me. I don't blame you. What's happened to you, I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. But I would never wish to hurt you. You will be safe with me, I promise you."

His eyes stayed on mine as I talked, and then he swallowed and said "That last man who said that to me, almost killed me and is the reason I have this." And slightly lifted his metal arm. His voice was deep, almost as deep as mine. But his voice was filled with hurt and fear. 

I nodded and said "I know. And if I ever met that son of a bitch, I will make sure he never hurts you again." He didn't say anything after that, but he just nodded and I smiled. At least he talked to me. 

I said "I'm gonna fix us something to eat...How doss chicken sound?" He smiled a little and his ears perked up. He nodded and I said "Okay buddy."

 

* * *

 

 

_**Sorry for the short chapter. And holy shit, this story launched quick. I'm guessing y'all like it better than Come What May? :(. I'm really hoping you guys like it more the more I work on it, cause I'm really proud of it and happy to work on that for you :).** _


	4. Chapter 4

I ended up making some oven baked chicken, and we were eating dinner in silence. The only sounds came from our forks. Sometimes I would glance up at him, and smile at him while his ears twitched, and his tail furiously swished back and forth. I think he likes it.

I smiled and asked "Is it good, Buck?" He looked up and nodded. He smiled and said "Yeah...Thank you." I smiled again and said "No problem. If you want more, you can get some more." He shook his head and said "Nah, I shouldn't-" I chuckled and said "Bucky, it's okay. If you want more, then get more. It's alright."

He then nodded and we went back to silence. He ended up getting another piece after his first two pieces, and I smiled. Then when we were done, I wrapped up whatever was left and did the dishes while he just sat there. When I got done, I turned around and asked "So...Whatcha wanna do now?" He shrank a little in his seat, and shrugged. I asked "Wanna watch TV?" He nodded and I said "Alright."

 

* * *

 

We got stuck watching some crime show on Investigation Discovery, cause there was nothing else on. We were watching some show about people getting married and their spouses turning out to be way different that they were before and when they got married. It was actually alrght. It's something to watch, right?

Bucky and I were on the couch, and he was sitting as far away from me as he possibly could on the smallish couch. But I didnt mind. He needs time, and I don't wanna push him. 

When someone loses trust in people, you can't expect them to just trust that quickly again. It's not a light switch. You gotta give it time. Bucky's gone through God knows what. He's been abused, he's seen and felt pain, he's afraid, and I don't wanna scare him. Whoever had him last, they didn't deserve him. Nobody should be treated like that, ever. Even if it takes him months or even years to trust me or speak to me again, then okay. That's fine with me.

We sat there watching TV for a few hours, before it went dark. Bucky yawned and stretched. I smiled and asked "You tired, buddy?" He nodded and rubbed his eyes with his fists like a little kid. I asked "You wanna go to sleep?" He nodded again.

I stood up and said "Okay. Um...There's two bedrooms in the house, and you can take the guest room if you want." He nodded and stood up. He followed me to the guest room, and I opened the door. His eyes scanned the room and landed on the big comfy bed.

I smiled and asked "Do you need some PJ's?" He nodder and I said "Alright, um. I think I have some old ones that might fit you. Hold on." I quickly went down the hall to my room, and fished around for some in my PJ drawer. I settled on one of my old shirts from college, and a pair of blue flannel PJ pants, and went back to the other room.

When I got back, Bucky was sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked like he was testing it. Then he looked up at me. I smiled and said "These should fit you." And set them down on the nightstand next to the bed. I said "If you need me, I'll be right down the hall. Just yell if you do." He nodded and I said "Goodnight, Buck. Sweet dreams." He nodded again and mumbled "You too." Before I walked out.

 

* * *

 

"AAAAAAHHHH!" My eyes shot open, and I sat up. I didn't move and I thought it was just a nightmare. But then I heard "AAAAAAHHHHHH! STEVE!...STEVE!!" I quickly got out of bed and ran down to Bucky's room. He was screaming like someone was killing him. He screamed again as I opened his door and ran over to him.

He was curled in a tight ball on his side, and was shaking like crazy. Tears stained his face, and he was gritting his teeth. I quickly shook him and said "Bucky! Bucky wake up! Bucky wake up!!" His eyes shot open, and he looked at me. 

I said "I'm here...I'm here, it's okay...You were just dreaming." He blinked a few times while staring at me, before sitting up and looking straight ahead. I asked "Are you okay?" I could see his lip quivering, before he looked over at me. A tear went down his cheek and next thing I know, he threw his arms around me.  

He buried his face in my shoulder and his arms around my neck, held me tight. I was surprised by it, but I gently rested my hands on his back and runner it as he cried.

 

* * *

 

"You wanna talk about the dream?" I asked, sitting next to him on the bed. I sat with him and held him while he cried for almost two hours. He had finally stopped crying and we just sat there. He looked down at his feet and I said "It's up to you. You don't have to tell me anything, it's your business."

He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it and shook his head no. I nodded and said "It's okay. Would you like me to sleep in here with you? In case you have another nightmare?"

He looked up at me, and I saw a tinge of fear in his eyes. But then he just nodded and I asked "Are you sure?" He nodded again and I said "Okay. I'll be right back." I went and grabbed my phone from my room, and headed back to him.

When I got back, I saw him under the sheets, curled up again, with his back facing me. I smiled and crawled in next to him, and played on my back. I looked over at him and said "Goodnight, Buck" and I fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

_**I imagined Bucky screaming like how he did in The Winter Soldier, when they were in the bank vault. Happy Halloween everyone!! I hope you have a wonderful rest of the day and night, have fun, and be safe! :) <3\. Watch out for clowns lol :p.** _


	5. Chapter 5

I groaned and opened my eyes. Light was pouring in through the blinds, and I yawned. I looked over and saw Bucky was curled up next to me. Not right next to me, he kept a little distance. But he was now facing me, and he looked peaceful. 

His ears were lying back against his head, but they twitched and shifted, and his tail was gently beating against my leg. I smiled and he stirred a little. Then his eyes opened and it was like looking at a cloudy sky. His eyes were truly beautiful.

I smiled and said "Hey, buddy." He blinked a few times and yawned, before looking around. I asked "You want some breakfast?" He looked back at me, and nodded. 

I got out of the bed and and went downstairs and began working. Bucky came down a little bit later, right when I was finishing up. He rubbed his eyes and I said "I made pancakes, if that's okay." His ears perked up at the work 'pancakes' and I grinned like an idiot. 

He sat down at the table and I put his plate down in front of him, before getting my own. We were eating in silence when I heard a scratching sound coming from outside. I looked up and saw my dog Dodger, scratching, and wanting to get in.

I got up and opened the backdoor, and was suddenly attacked by doggy love. I smiled and said "Hey baby! Where were you yesterday?? I came home, but you didn't wanna show up? Huh? What's up with that, huh?" He was going nuts, trying to lick my face while jumping around. 

I put him back to calm him down and I asked "Was it cause I brought a new friend home? Huh? Is that it, boy?" Then he stopped and sniffed the air, before running towards Bucky. Bucky saw him coming, quickly pulled his tail and feet up, and hissed. 

I chuckled and said "It's okay, Buck. Bucky, this is my dog, Dodger. Dodger, this is Bucky. He loves anything and everyone." Bucky still hissed at him, and Dodger wanted to play. I shook my head and said "Dodger, chill out buddy." I patted his butt and I looked up at Bucky.

"He's full of energy, but he's really friendly. Don't be afraid." Bucky didn't really look convinced, but reached a hand out and poked Dodgers lower back with his finger. Then Dodger turned his attention towards Bucky, and smiled. I'll never understand that dog.

Dodger then turned and plopped down on his butt, and wanted Bucky to pet him. Bucky reached his hand out again and gently tapped the top of Dodgers head a couple times, before slowly petting him. Dodger in return, ferociously liked Bucky's hand.

Bucky cringed and pulled his hand back, before wiping it on the shirt. I was trying not to laugh, but ultimately failed. I stood up and shook my head, before sitting back down and eating.

After we finished, I said "Alright, who wants to watch some TV?" Dodger ran full speed for the couch, and launched up on it. Bucky and I walked over and sat down, and I was attacked by Dodger. He took up a lot of room on the couch, and there was barely any room for Bucky.

I said "Dodger, be nice. Let Bucky sit down." Bucky shook his head and mumbled "It's okay." I said "No Buck, you can have a spot on the couch. Dodger, off!" Dodger stopped and got off and I pointed to the recliner next to the couch. "Recliner. Now." He jumped up on there, curled up in a ball, and dropped his head down.

Bucky stood there for a minute, before he sat down next to me. I turned on the TV and flipped it onto Investigation Discovery, before dropping the remote down on my lap. I ended up liking some of the stuff we watched last night, so I put it on that channel.

After nearly 20 minutes of silence, Bucky said "You didn't have to do that." I looked over at him, and he was looking at me. "He just wanted to sit with you...I could've taken the chair, I wouldn't mind." I nodded and said "I know. Bit I wanted to. And he can get a little too energetic...Really, I don't mind Buck."

He nodded and we turned our attention back to the TV. After a little while, Bucky shifted next to me, and looked slightly uncomfortable. I looked over at him and asked "You okay?" He nodded and said "Yeah, I'm good...My butts just falling asleep."

I chuckled and said "That's unfortunate." He smiled a little and shifted until he was curled up in a ball on his side, and rested his head on his arm. I smiled and Dodger started whining. 

I looked over at him and asked "What's up, boy? You wanna go outside?" He quickly got up and barked a couple times, and I stood up. "Alright Buddy, let's go outside." And he ran past me into the kitchen. After I let him out to terrorize the back yard, I walkes back in and saw Bucky had called asleep. It was not even noon yet, but he was tired. So I just grabbed a blanket that was sitting on top of the recliner, and gently laid it on him.

He moved a little, but sighed and clutched the blanket to him. I smiles and carefully sat back down next to him, before my eyes went back to the TV.

 


	6. Chapter 6

"So, what's new, Rogers?" My friend and co-worker Tony, asked. Right now, I was at work. Although I'd rather be at home, cause this would be Bucky's first time alone in the house. All he has until I get home, is Dodger.

I smiled and asked "You know those one new things everyone's going crazy about? Those Nekos?" He nodded and said "Yeah, what about them?" My smile grew and I said " I adopted one." He smiled and asked "What? Really?" I nodded and said "Yeah. Oh man Tony, I'm really excited to have him. His names Bucky. He's been through a lot, man." 

Tony took a sip from his coffee mug and asked "Such as?" I didn't wanna talk about Bucky's past with him. Even though he's pretty much my best friend. I just said "Hell." He nodded and said "I hear Hell is quite nice this season." 

I rolled my eyes and asked "Do we have a meeting today?" He nodded and said "Yeah, but not till 2." I nodded and he asked "Do you think you can handle having a Neko, Steve? Especially one with a past?" I nodded and said "Yeah. If I can handle Dodger, I can handle taking care of Bucky." "Well it's different. He's not just a cat, he's half and half. It would be like taking care of a kid." I just nodded and said "I can handle it."

 

* * *

 

Finally, I'm home. Jesus Christ, that day took too long. I walked through the door and said "Bucky? Dodger? I'm home!" I was suddenly attacked by Dodger, but there was no sign of Bucky.

I quickly petted Dodger and asked "Where's Bucky, Dodge? Hmm?" And thats when I heard the sound of glass breaking from the kitchen My head immediately shot up, and Dodger ran towards the kitchen. I whisper shouted "Dodger, no!" Before running after him. 

I was prepared to get attacked by whoever could possibly be in my house, when I saw Bucky in the kitchen, on the ground. He looked up at me and I saw he was sitting next to a pile of broken glass. His eyes went wide in fear and I asked "Bucky? What happened?"

He moved away from me and said "I-I was getting a drink, a-a-and I didn't hear you come in and when y-you talked I....I accidentally dropped the g-glass." I nodded and he said "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Please don't be mad at me, don't hurt me!" And he started tearing up.

My heart sank at the thought of me beating him over a meaningless glass...And it sank a little deeper imagining that's what his previous owner must have done. Hurt him over small, meaningless things.

I said "Oh, Bucky....Bucky, I'm not gonna hurt you...C'mere." He moved farther away and shook his head, hugging his knees to his chest. I slowly moved closer to him and reached my arms out to him. I softly said "Buck, please...Come here. I'm not gonna hurt you...C'mere honey." 

His eyes scanned my face and I said "It's okay." He slowly moved closer to me and I did the same until he was right next to me. I gently pulled him into a hug and I said "It's okay, Bucky...It's okay. It's just a glass, it means nothing to me...I wouldn't hurt you." He slowly hugged me back, and I gently pressed my lips to the top of his head. "It's okay, Buck. I'm not mad."

"Are you sure?" I nodded and said "Yes, I'm sure. Did you hurt yourself? When the glass broke?" He shook his head and said "No, not really...But I was trying to clean it up, and I cut my finger." I nodded and said "Okay, buddy. Here, I'll take care of your finger, then I'll get this glass cleaned up. Okay?" He nodded and said "Okay."

 

* * *

 

I guided him to the bathroom and said "Sit up on the counter, buddy." He nodded and carefully hopped up on top of it. I dug through the drawers for the first aid kit until I found it. I got it out, and said "Now I'm gonna put some alcohol on it. It's gonna sting. But just stay calm, we'll get through it." 

He nodded and he lifted up his hand. I saw a longish cut going down his index finger, and said "Alright...Alright, it's not bad. Now just take a deep breath, okay buddy?" He nodded and I quickly poured a little alcohol on a cotton pad, before holding his hand still.

I looked at him and he took a deep breath. I said "Okay, on 3...1...2...3." Igently started dabbing the pad onto his cut, and he hissed and clenched in pain. I said "Deep breaths Buck, deep breaths. The stinging is a good thing." He nodded and took deep breaths, before relaxing.

After a minute, I asked "Better?" He nodded and I said "Okay. Now I'm gonna put some Neosporin on it and then I'll patch you up. The Neosporin will help it heal faster." He nodded and when I was putting it on, I asked "You with me, Buck?" He nodded and said "It feels weird." I chuckled and then when that was done, I carefully maneuvered a band-aid on.

When I was done, I smiled and said "There ya go. All done." He nodded and I was putting the kit away, when he said "Thank you." I looked up at him and smiled. "No problem, Buck." 

 


	7. Chapter 7

After taking care of his cut, I cleaned up the glass while he sat on the couch. When I was done, I went over to him, and he was staring straight ahead at the floor. I sat down next to him and asked "You okay?" He nodded and asked "Is Dodger okay? While we were in there, did he hurt himself?" 

I said "Nah, Dodger knows to avoid messes like that. I've done my fair share of breaking stuff." He smiled a little and asked "So you're not mad?" I said "Bucky. I'm not mad. I will keep saying it, cause I'm not. It was a glass. I've broken plenty before. I promise you, I'm not mad."

He nodded and said "Okay." I smiled and his stomach growled. I chuckled and asked "You hungry buddy?" He nodded and I said "Alright. Well I'll get started on dinner. What sound good to you?" He shrugged and I said "Alright, I'll surprise you. C'mon."

 

* * *

 

After dinner, I asked Bucky if he wanted to go watch TV. He shrugged and said "I dunno." I then asked "Alright, then what do you wanna do?" He said "Well um...I kinda need to take a bath..." I nodded and he said "Usually we bathe ourselves, but a bath every once in awhile is needed." I nodded again and said "Okay, we can do that."

He nodded and we went upstairs to my bathroom. I asked "Do you need me to help?" I could see him get a little nervous, but he asked "Please?" I nodded and said "Okay, Buck." I went and found the pet shampoo I use for Dodger, and said "This would be gentle on your fur. Dodger loves this stuff." He nodded and I said "Do you need anything else washed besides your fur?" 

I could see his cheeks turn a little red, and he nodded. I said "Okay...We can figure out the rest. Here, I'll fill the tub and when you're ready, I'll leave the room so you can change out of those." He nodded again and I got to work.

After a little bit of watching the tub fill with water I asked "You ready?" He nodded and I said "Alright, I'll be right outside. Tell me when you're ready." And I walked out. I closed the door behind me and after a couple of minutes, Bucky said "Okay Steve!" And I went back in.

I smiled and grabbed the bottle and then stopped. I said "Hmm...Actually, let's start with your hair first." I went and grabbed my bottle of shampoo and set it down next to the tub, before turning the faucet on again. He asked "What are you doing?" I said "The showerhead is detachable...Figured that would be easier for washing what needs to be washed. The bathtub wasn't plum full of water, my bathtub is kinda deep. He nodded and I started wetting his long hair down with the water. 

After a couple minutes of that, I grabbed my shampoo and poured a little in my hand, before lathering it up, and gently working it into his hair. He has nice hair. Although at some point, he could get annoyed with it and wanna get of cut. But for now, I liked his hair like this. His hair is way better than the mess I deal with, daily.

When I thought I got it all covered, I said "Alright, you might have to close your eyes." He nodded and did so, and I started rinsing it off. After I got it out, I grabbed the pet shampoo, and started working it on his ears. 

Surprisingly, Nekos ears aren't the same as a normal cats ears. Normal cats virtually almost have no fur on their ears, and you could see the skin. But with Bucky and I'm guessing any other Neko, their ears have beautiful thick fur. Not too thick, but they have a good amount. And you can't see the flesh of their ears, unless you parted it to where you could see it. 

Over the streaming of the water, I could hear him purring. And it was getting louder. I smiled said "Your fur is beautiful." And I wasn't lying. Bucky's fur is black as night. And it was always shiny. He said "Um...Thanks..." And I could see the red of his cheeks, get darker. I chuckled and asked "Why are you blushing?" He shrugged and said "I dunno...Maybe it was the compliment?"

I asked "Haven't you had plenty of compliments before?" He said "Not really...You're kinda the first." I stopped while I was working on his other ear and asked "The first for what?" He looked up at me and said "To compliment me....I've heard a few from previous owners, but when I heard them, I could tell they didn't mean it...The way the words sounded and their tone of voice, it sounded....Sinister."

I just looked at him and he swallowed. His Adams apple slowly sinking and rising. He said "They way you did it, your voice and your tone, it sounded...Really sweet." I smiled a little and said "That's cause I meant it." He asked "Really?"

I nodded and said "I said it. I meant it. Bucky, anything and everything I say to you, I will always mean, and I will always tell you the truth. Do you believe me?" He nodded and said "Yes." I smiled and said "Good. Now, let's get that tail." He smiled and lifted his tail up a little. Not high, but enough for me to grab it.

I could tell he was thorough with keeping his privates covered, which I understood. His hands never left them for a second. After a few minutes of silence, he said "This is the nicest bath I've ever gotten." I asked "Oh really?" He nodded and said "Yeah." I smiled and asked "And why is that?" 

Suddenly Bucky went quiet, and I realized what I said. After a couple minutes, I was about to open my mouth and apologize, but he spoke. "The last bath I had in a bathtub, my last owner tried to drown me.." 


	8. Chapter 8

That hurt like a kick to the gut. I had stopped washing his tail, and was looking down at him in horror. He looked up at me and I felt my eyes water up a little. He then looked like he just regretted telling me and started saying "I'm sorry, I shouldn't h-" 

I stoppes him and said "No. Don't apologize...Don't apologize for anything you tell me." He nodded and I swallowed. "He tried to drown you?" He nodded and said "Yeah...I was with him one night, and apparently I failed to pay attention to him. So he thought he should teach me a lesson. So he dragged me to the bathroom by my hair, and hit me a couple times, before turning on the water. 

He plugged that thing in to make the tub fill up, and he hit me a few more times. I was thinking, _'this is gonna be it. You're gonna die, but you're finally get away from him.'_ I couldn't move. I mean, I could move, but I knew if I did move, he wouldn't stop until I was dead. He's tried more than once to kill me. He just never had the balls to actually do it. So when the bathtub got filled, he grabbed me by my hair again, and shoved my head down in it.

That's when I started moving. I tried to keep calm and not panic, but I couldn't breathe. He pulled my head up and told me how worthless I was and a bunch of other shit, and put my head back down. He did it a few times and on the last time, he held my head down long enough to where I almost drowned. Maybe another minute or so, and I would've been gone. But for some reason, he yanked my head up, and just left me on the floor.

I stayed on that floor for hours. I didn't dare move, or come out. If I did, it probably would've set him off and he would finish it. I laid there for hours trying to breath normally, and crying. When I came out the next day, they were gone. 

I wanted to run. I wanted to run so bad, but I was scared they would do worse to me if I did. But they were gone. I looked around they whole house, they weren't there...But for some reason, I saw that all the windows were covered from the outside, and there was a ton of shit piled up against the front door and the kitchen door...That's when I could smell something burning I tried to locate the smell, and that's when I saw flames shooting up from the basement.

The fire was burning too fast, and I wouldn't have made it out if I tried to move all the stuff blocking the doors out of the way. They set the house on fire. I thought the drowning was gonna be the end, but no...No, I was so wrong. They were gonna burn me alive instead.

But I didn't wanna just give up and die. I wanted to live, and I wanted to get away from them. So I quickly made my way up to the attic and the window there wasn't covered. But it was too small for me to try and get out. So I opened it and just started screaming bloody murder. Thankfully, we lived in a suburb, and not out in the middle of nowhere. Neighbors called 911, told the cops I was trapped, and I was gonna be saved.

But when they got there and started working to get the fire put out, the house started to collapse. There were a couple fire fighters trying to get to me, but they couldn't reach me. I was trapped up there, and I was gonna die... Which I didn't really mind at that time, the fire was gonna put me out of my misery....And then the house gave in and collapsed..."

He stopped and his eyes went to his metal arm. I was instantly worried about it rusting, but remembered I have some stuff that'll keep it from doing that. He said "I shouldn't have woken up. I shouldn't have survived, it was impossible. The fire wasn't completely put out, I should've died. I don't know how I'm still alive. Maybe God or whoever, actually felt sorry for my ass.

I woke up somewhere different. I was in a hospital. I looked around and that's when I saw my left arm was gone. Then I noticed I wasn't in a normal hospital. It was an animal hospital. A doctor came in and told me I was extremely lucky to be alive, and that the fire should've killed me. I had suffered from smoke inhalation, but apparently not enough to kill me.

I tried to ask about my arm, but I could hardly speak. He said it'll take some time for me to talk again, cause of what the smoke did. And I ended up finding out I was actually in an animal shelter, and not a hospital. They had kept me in Intensive Care. The doc told me that my arm got crushed when the building collapsed, and was so mangled, they had to amputate it. But they gave me a new one, obviously.

Then after maybe 3 months, I had healed up enough to where I was taken out of IC, and was taken care of daily. Yeah it was a shelter, but it wasn't a shitty one. When I was out of IC, I saw that I wasn't the only Neko there. There were more. Natasha was the main person who took care of me, and I trusted her. And then I met Sam..

At first, I was afraid of him. I never really knew other Nekos, myself. Hell, I don't even know who my real parents are. Haven't seen what they looked like, haven't heard their voices, I no absolutely nothing about them. And every home I was at, I was kept away from others of my kind. I saw some on the streets from a distance, but I was kept away from them. Still don't know why.

But Sam was nice. Sure we gave each other shit, he gave me shit about my arm, but it wasn't bad. He became a brother to me, and I loved him like a brother. And when he got adopted....My world was shattered. The one person of my kind that I truly bonded with, the one person, was taken away from me. I wasn't friends with any of the other, cause I was afraid to be...And all I had left was Natasha....And then came you."

He looked up at me, and smiled a little. I sat there speechless. Hearing all this, I wanted to scream, punch a wall, throw shit around, or just break down and cry. I could definitely feel tears coming, and I just said "Excuse me." And got out of there.

When I was outside the bathroom, I sat at the top of the stairs and the tears came. I sat with my knees pulled up to my chest, and I ran my fingers through my hair. I could see images of his owners beating him, raping him, drowning him, the fire, everything. I sat there and cried until my chest was hurting. 

I was thinking I was gonna have an Asthma attack, and forced myself to take deep breaths. I haven't had am attack in almost 6 years. And I haven't cried this much since my Ma died.

How could someone be so cruel? What the hell did he do to deserve any of that? Then I remembered Natasha saying the world was full of horrible people...You're damn right it is. If I ever met who tried to kill him, and who caused him all that pain, I'd end up in prison for murder. Bucky's the sweetest person I've ever met, he wouldn't cause harm to anyone. After a few minutes, I sighed and said "Get up...Goddammit Rogers, get up."

And I did.

 


	9. Chapter 9

I walked back in the bathroom, and saw Bucky was still in the tub, but he was crying. He looked up at me and asked "Steve? Steve, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have said anythi-" I cut him off by dropping to my knees and pulling him into a tight hug.

He struggled against me and said "Steve...Steve, I'm wet-" "I don't care." He then stopped and I said "I don't care if you're wet, I'm gonna hug you." I held him there, and he didn't move. I closes my eyes and asked "How could they hurt something so beautiful?"

"Steve?" I opened my eyes and loosened up the hug enough to where I could look down at him. I was met by those gorgeous blues and I said "Bucky, you're so beautiful. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I thought you were the most beautiful thing in the world. Not because you're a Neko, but you yourself are fucking beautiful. Inside and out. 

I get that you cant trust me right now, I get it. I get it, take all the time you need...But dammit, you need to see that you're safe with me. As long as you're here with me, you are safe. They can't hurt you anymore, I won't let them. They can go to Hell, and I wish I could send them there myself. But you can trust me. I will always be here for you, and I will protect you with my life."

His eyes never tore away from mine, and I fully broke the hug and gently cupped his face in my hands. I swallowed hard and asked "Do you believe me?" He nodded and said "Yes." I then asked "Do you think you will be able to trust me? Whenever you're ready to?" He nodded again and said "Yes." I smiled and said "Okay."

 

* * *

 

(3 Months Later)

 

It's been 3 months since Bucky told me what happened. And since I poured my heart out like that about him trusting me. I was afraid I was gonna scare him off, but it didn't. Since that happened, he's opened up a lot more. He smiles more, he talks me, he laughs more, it's been great.

I've been teaching him how to cook. There's been some slip ups, but that's how you learn. He loves Dodger now, and Dodger is head over heels for him. Almost as much as he is about me. They play together, sit together, hell, I've caught them falling asleep next to each other or Dodge on his lap.

I wanna teach Bucky to do other things like driving, or using the internet or a cell phone, doing laundry, all sorts of stuff. I'm guessing all his previous owners never thought to teach him anything that adults do every day. They probably thought he was just a pet. A pet or a slave. But he's not. He's just as human as you and I. Sure, he's half cat, but he's more human. And I'm proud to teach him things he never learned about.

I wanted to try and search for anything on his birth parents, but there's been no luck. Mainly, cause I'm not sure what to search for. Nekos haven't exactly been around as long as humans have. But I did a search on Neko history, and their origin dates back to maybe 10 or 15 years. 

Originally, the government was doing some DNA testing on humans, I guess for military purposes, I'm not fully sure. But since cats can see better at night than humans, they could've dabbled in some DNA black magic, and develop soldiers that could maneuver through enemy lines or do covert missions with night vision on their side, without goggles.

They were doing that for about a year, when things went awry. They tested on a bunch of males and females, and I guess the guys with their newly acquired instincts, could smell some females in heat. And after a few weeks, the very first litters of half human and half feline hybrid children were born. With almost all their bodies human, but with cat ears, tails, and the instincts of a cat.

They tried to keep things quiet for a couple years, until the parents and their children rioted, and some escaped. Then the children mated together, or went off and mated with people not apart of the whole mess, and the public became aware.

One fascinating thing I found was how they age. They don't age yearly like we do. After their born, their aging and development is rapid. For example, maybe after 10 days of being born, a Neko baby would already be 2 years old. After 20 days, they'd be 4 years old....Or so I read. But after the children hit 16, the rapid aging stops. And after that, they start aging one year at a time, like we do. I asked Bucky how old he was, and he said he's 22. I'm 25.

But I can see that Bucky is really starting to trust me now. He knows I won't hurt him, he talks to me more, he's not as shy as he was, hell, he sleeps in my bed with me now!! He has since what happened during his first bath in my house. And it's made me so happy. You can see he has a history. One filled with vast amounts of pain, suffering, and betrayal.

But I can also see hope. He's fought to survive. He's clawed his way through Hell and all the pain, and now he's with me. Someone who he can trust, and talk to, laugh with. I can see that he's starting to trust me, and I damn sure don't wanna mess that up. 

I won't.


	10. Chapter 10

Soon, he ended up telling me his whole story. I asked him when he was with his very first owner, and he said he was with them when he was 16. Before that, he was homeless, and had been homeless since he was born. And for a long time, he lives in an old abandoned barn. He said it wasn't much, but it was home. He managed to keep warm and not starve. I asked him why he left the barn, and he said he just wanted to see what else could be out there. And that the silence and loneliness, was gonna drive him crazy.

And he said after he left the barn,  he was living anywhere, sleeping in abandoned buildings, and pretty much hunting for his own food. Then someone caught him stealing from their trash, and he was taken to a shelter...And not a very good one. Not as good as Shield, he said. 

He was at that shelter for a couple of weeks, before someone adopted him. And a family had picked him. It was a mother and father, and a teenage boy, about Bucky's age. He was with them for a year. But Bucky ran away, because of what the boy did. The boy was cruel to him. He'd yell at him, slap him, punch him, kick him, throw cigarettes at him, and threw other things. The parents didn't do shit. Why, I'll never know.

Then one night when the parents were gone, the boy and his friends threw a party at the house. Bucky stayed away from everyone while the party went on. But when the party was full swing, almost everyone was blacked out drunk or higher than a plane. And the boy and some of his friends decided to show Bucky off to everyone.

So they found Bucky while he was sleeping in the parents bedroom, and attacked him. They put tape over his mouth, wrapped his wrists and legs with a few layers of tape, and carries him downstairs. He kicked and thrashed, and tried to get away, but he couldn't.

So when they got downstairs, everyone was laughing at him, throwing their drinks and shit at him, calling him a freak, and so on. Then the boy said he wondered what it would be like to fuck a Neko, so they pinned him to the ground on his stomach, undid the bindings on his legs, tore his clothes off and raped him. They took turns raping him right in front of everyone. No one helped. Everyone else just laughed, took pictures and recorded the whole thing.

5 guys and 2 girls, raped him. After the guys were done with him, some of the girls got eager, and the guys turned him on his back, and held him down again, so the girls could jump on. Despite everything, when everyone passed out or left, he ran. He just filled a backpack with all that he could that was his, and never looked back.

 

* * *

 

His next owners were a nicer older couple a state over. They found Bucky out in the rain, digging through their trash for food, and took him in. He was with them for 6 months. But then they died in a car accident while they were on their way home.

Bucky was alone again, and he had to leave again. He told me he spent a long time crying after the died, for how well the treated him, and how loved her felt. Not knowing who is real family was, who he was, and beong abused by that kid and his friends, he considered that couple his real parents. Even though he knew they weren't.

 

* * *

 

Soon he was back in another shitty shelter, and was adopted by a man. Bucky was with him for 2 years. After the first 6 months, the man began molesting and raping him. He tried to escape, but the guy manipulated him and said he would change, but kept doing it. 

And every time Bucky tried to run, the guy would beat him senseless. He'd be passed out for days, while that sick fuck did god knows what to him. But soon the guy croaked from a heart attack, and Bucky went off again.

 

* * *

 

By the time Bucky was 19, he hadn't had any other owners. He had stayed in an abandoned building after the pervert died, and was careful. He just wanted peace for awhile....Then came his owners before me. He was with them for 3 years.

One of them worked for a construction crew, and found him trying to sneak some food from some of the guys' lunches. The guy offered him a place to stay, but he was afraid. But ended up agreeing. He said the minute he said yes to that guy, it's like he signed a death warrent.

For the first year, they guy and his Uncle who was living with him, treated Bucky well. They didn't judge him, they made him feel safe, and he felt like he finally found peace. He felt like he was back with the older couple. But he described it as like a switch just got flipped with them. Like they were different people. And it started when Bucky accidentally dropped a glass of milk, and it shattered to the floor.

That's when I thought back to when Bucky dropped the glass. And he was crying, and pleading for me not to hurt him. He must've seen the memory of that, and thought it was gonna happen again. After the glass broke, the Uncle went nuts. He was screaming at Bucky, and went over to him, and back handed him across his face.

He said the guy slapped him so hard, it sounded like a firecracker going off, and that he fell to the ground. Then he grabbed him by his throat and forced him to look at him while he screamed at him and said so many awful thing to him about his past, before walking away. And the Nephew didn't do anything.

Bucky trusted them enough to tell them about his past. And the switch for flipped over a goddamn glass of milk. After that, things just got worse. Soon the Uncle was beating him a lot, over small things, then his Nephew joined in, and soon they went from beating and verbal humiliation, to rape. They beat him, raped him, hurt his body, humiliated him, and that's when he lost his trust. 

And after the two attempts on his life, that's when he decides he couldn't trust anyone at all, anymore. And before I showed up, he only allowed Sam and Natasha to get close. After he sat down and spun out the whole tale, he said "God Steve, I've made so, so many mistakes...I've lived most of my life alone, I let so many people hurt me....Hell, I think I might have kids that I don't even know about, after what happened at that party, when those girls........I could have kids that are growing up not knowing who I am, who their father really is, and why he's not there for them..."

He started crying and I went over and hugged him. Then he said "Or they're living how I lived, getting hurt by people, or they're probably dead!" I held him while he cried and I said "Bucky, you didn't know that they would hurt you....And those girls probably didn't get pregnant, and I'd they did, it's some other guys' problem."

Yeah, that may have not sounded like I thought it would, but I wanted to make him feel better. I said "Bucky, your past doesn't define who you are now. You survived, you got away, and now you're with me. You're with me, and I'm so happy I have you. And nobody can hurt you again. Your pain ended when you woke up at Shield. That's when your life really began...And your life will continue to get better, while you have me." I just hoped he would believe that.

 


	11. Chapter 11

(1 Month Later)

 

I was talking to Tony about the current project we were working on, when there was a knock on the door. We stopped and Tony said "Yeah, come in!" The door opened and our boss came in.

I work for Pierce Construction Industries as an Architect. The CEO is Alexander Pierce. And Tony and I are two of his best. Yeah, it sounds cocky, but Pierce said so himself. He said he's worked with a bunch of knuckleheads, and he likes Tony and I. Separate, we work well. But together, it's like a beautiful symphony playing.

I myself, am a lover of art. And I'm also sort of, apart of the art world. I'm an artist. I draw, I paint, but I'm not famous in the art world. Which is okay with me, I don't wanna be famous. I got everything I could ever need. But I love incorporating my artsy hands into creating buildings for a living. And seeing them completed, is like watching your kid walk across the stage of their Senior high graduation.

Alexander's a good boss. He's not too hard on us, but he does keep a firm hold and keeps us in check. Everyone he knows and everyone he likes, calls him Alex. He's an older man, but young at heart. We said hi, and he asked "How's it lookin'?" Tony said "Well, we got the girls measurements down...Now we just need to get to second base."

I chuckled and Alex said "In English, Stark." I said "It's good, so far. Measurements for everything are down, and constructions gonna begin very soon." He nodded and said "Good, Good. The dogs have been barking at me for the measurements..Glad I can finally shut them up."

We nodded and Tony said "Oh have you heard...Steve's a new dad." Alex and I raised an eyebrow and I gave him a look. "What are you talking about, Tony?" Alex asked. I nodded and said "Yeah, Tony." Tony rolled his eyes and said "I mean, This squishy giant Lumberjack, recently adopted. He adopted a Neko."

"You wanna tell him my blood type too, Tony?" I said, and he just patted my back. Alex said "Nekos....Aren't those the cat people, or something?" I nodded and said "Yeah. You ever have one?" He smirked and said "No...No, I can hardly take care of myself, let alone one of...Those."

I nodded and he asked "Is it a boy or a girl?" Tony said "A boy...What's his name again, Jolly Green Giant? Brian? Barry? Benjamin?" I rolled my eyes and said "His name is Bucky." Alex looked like he flinched when I said Bucky's name, which I think I was the only one who noticed. But then he just chuckled and asked "Bucky? What the hell kinda name is Bucky?"

I didn't think anything off it, and just shrugged. "That's the only name he's got...I think." Alex took off his glasses and cleaned them off. "What's this Bucky like?" I smiled and said "Well, he's really sweet...He's been through a lot...But I'm happy he's with me now." Alex nodded and said "I bet you are....You think you can handle one of those things? I've heard a lot of rumors about them." I nodded and said "Yeah, I've been handling it...He's not a handful, and we've been getting along great."

Tony said "Well, I'm gonna go get some coffee, y'all want anything? No? Alright, bye." And walked out. Ah, Tony....A good friend, but very irritating sometimes. After Tony left, Alex said "That kid gives me headaches." I nodded and said "Tell me about it." He looked out the door and went over to close it.

After he did, he looked back over at me and said "Ya now.....If this new project goes well, with your planning.....Then that partnership level is practically begging to be yours...Which comes with great benefits for you....Including that raise." I nodded and said "I know....But can I ask...Why me? Why not Tony, he's a _genius_ with building things. And his father was a great man. I'm just an art geek."

Alex said "Howard Stark was indeed a good man. Him and I were friends back in the day. But just because Tony is Howards blood, doesn't make him worthy of this kind of responsibility. He's too arrogant. Narcissistic. He may be a genius and have his father's brains, but the way he acts...He's no better than the knuckleheads I deal with on the construction crews."

"What, so you wanna pick me cause I'm like a Golden Retriver?" He said "Not cause of that. Although, you do have a heart of Gold. I'll give ya that.  It the passion I see in you when you work, whether by yourself, or the walking headache....It's like seeing God. Your heart for your work, is what's got me hooked on wanting you for this partnership, Steve."

I nodded and he said "Maybe if Stark had your heart and didn't make me carry a bottle of ibuprofen with me, you two would be gunning for the trophy...He thinks he gonna get it. But he won't. My eyes are on you...Are you gonna deliver?" 

 

* * *

 

When I got home, I walked in and found Bucky in the kitchen, at the sink. He was cleaning up a bowl. He smiled and said "Hey. How was work?" I smiled and said "Good...Remember that promotion thing I was telling you about?" His smile grew and he asked "You got it?!"

I said "Maybe. But! If the project Tony and I are working on goes well, and we get it done before the deadline....Then I'll have it." He said "Steve, That's great!" I nodded and said "Yeah....The raise would be a relief...Things have been a little off, lately...Oh, and Tony so graciously announced me adopting you, to my boss...Not sure why."

He rolled his eyes and said "Ya know, I've never even met Tony, but he makes me wanna cry a bottle of Ibuprofen with me everywhere, already." I started laughing and then said "That's what Alex said." He smiled and said "On, your boss has a name? I always thought it was 'My Boss'." I said "No, that's not his name. His name is Alexander Pierce. But everyone calls him Alex."

Bucky then froze. As if he was on TV and got paused. I raised an eyebrow and asked "Bucky?" Then the bowl in his hand dropped. I was close enough to where I quickly grabbed it before it could land, and stood back up. I put the bowl on the table and asked "Bucky, what's wrong?" 

He then looked up at me, and I saw fear in his eyes. He swallowed and asked "Does he look kinda like Donald Trump? And wears cmbad suits, AMD has glasses?" I nodded and asked "Yeah...How did you-" "The names of my owners before you...Were Alexander Pierce....And his Nephew, Brock Rumlow."

 


	12. Chapter 12

I couldn't believe what I just heard. I blinked a couple times and asked "I'm sorry, what was that?" He said "Your boss and his Nephew...They tried to kill me. They're the reason I almost died, why I have this arm, why I woke up at Shield...And why I'm now with you.."

I could feel my body start to heat up. My blood began to boil. I could feel a knot in my stomach tighten, I could feel my chest tigthen, but I was trying to keep cool. Bucky could see what was happening, and slowly backed away.

I huffed and went over to the sink. I rested my hands against the counter, and gripped it. I started gripping so tight, I could hear the wood creak underneath my fingers. I dropped my head down and closed my eyes.

I could now see them. Brock is one of Alex's construction workers. I don't know him too well, cause of how different are jobs are. Never thought much about him. But not I could see it. Alexander and Brock, beating him. Hurting him. I could see them drowning him. The fire. I could almost smell the smoke. I could hear him screaming for help. That's when I snapped.

I banged my fists down onto the counter and yelled "FUCK!" I stood back up straight and looked over at Bucky. He was standing away from me, and he looked scared. 

All the anger went away the second I looked at him. I said "No...No, no, no, no, please God, no..." He nodded and said "Yes." I felt tears come to my eyes and I went over to him. He backed away but I kept going to him.

I reached my hands out and gently took his face into them. He stopped and I looked down into his eyes. I could almost see his soul...Guess that's why people say the eyes are the windows to the soul. And it's beautiful. 

He said "Steve, you don't know who you're working for...Alexander Pierce could do things to you that would make you wish you were never born...He's a monster, and so is Brock...They thought they killed me, but now that he knows I'm alive....We have to go, we have to go now, move out of this state, leave this country, get off this planet-" 

"We're not running." Bucky swallowed and said "But he'll kill you...He'll kill you, and find a much more creative way to kill me, and actually get it done." I said "I won't let that happen." His eyes started filling with tears and he softly said "They won't stop..." I said "I won't let them hurt you." He said "I'm scared, Steve." I said "I know. But you're safe with me." He nodded and said "I know.....I trust you." 

 

* * *

 

(1 Week Later)

 

He trusts me. He actually trusts me. But now that I know that I work for one of his abusers, I cannot let him down. I have to prove to him that I will protect him no matter what. And I know a way to prove it.

One day after work, I was on my way back to the car, when I pulled my phone out. I got in and searched for the phone number for Shield. When I found it, I dialed it. Three rings later, someone picked up. 

"Thank you for calling Shield Adoption Center, this is Natasha?" I smiled and said "Natasha? This is Steve Rogers. You met me a few months back. Bucky?" "Steve? Steve oh my God! How are you?! How's Bucky?!" I said "He's great, Nat...Listen, is it possible to ask for a favor?" She said "It depends ojnthe favor." I smiled and asked "Can you find whoever adopted Sam?"

 

* * *

 

The next day when I got home from work, I was so excited. But I was also really nervous. I hoped everything will go well. If it does, then I'd be proving to Bucky that I won't let him down. 

Bucky was sitting on the couch, with Dodger. They were watching some cartoon. Bucky looked over and smiled. "Hey. How was work?"  I smiled and said "Good...How was your day." He said "S'lright...You okay?" I nodded and said "Yeah...I uh, I got you a surprise."

He raised an eyebrow and asked "What?" I smiled and there was a knock on the door. I went over and opened it, to see Natasha standing there. She smiled and said "Hey Steve." I said "Hey. Come in." I moved aside and she walked in. Bucky quickly stood up and asked "Natasha?" 

She smiled and said "Hey sweetheart....I brought a friend." Suddenly another person walked in. A young looking black male. His ears and tail were a dark brown, while his hair was black. Bucky froze and his eyes fixed on the guy. 

I went over and stood by Bucky. From here, I could see his eyes glass over with tears. He was trying to say something, but couldn't. The guy smiled and said "Hey Buck...Cat got your tongue?" Bucky stepped forward and just said "Sam?" 


	13. Chapter 13

Sam smiled and said "Yeah, buddy...It's me." Bucky then looked over at me, and the look on his face...He looked at me like I just gave him all the money in the world. Then he looked back at Sam and a huge grin exploded on his face. 

Then he went over to Sam and yanked him in for a tight hug. Sam chuckled and Hughes him back. He said "I'm guessing you missed me?" Bucky laughed and broke the hug to look at Sam. Bucky then went over and hugged Natasha. He looked over at me and asked "How?" 

I smiled and said "Well, I looked up Shields number, and asked Natasha for a favor. I had her look up the person who adopted Sam. I talked to the guy, and he agreed to let him come...Figured you'd like to see Natasha too...What do you think?"

Bucky just looked at me with amazement. He came over until he was right in front of me. We just stared at each other for a minute, before he grabbed my face in his hands, yanked me in, and crashed his lips to mine.

I was definitely shocked...I wasn't expecting that to happen, honestly. My eyes were wide open and his were closed. Then he pulled away, and looked at me. He smiled and said "Thank you..." I just nodded and Sam and Natasha chuckled. 

 

* * *

 

We all sat in the living room and I just watched while Bucky was catching up with Natasha and Sam. Sam was making jokes about Bucky's arm, they would playfully hit each other, but Bucky looked so happy. I was wondering how his face wasn't hurting from smiling so much.

Every now and then, Bucky would look over at me, and his smile just grew, even if it was as it's max. Natasha made comments about how she should let him do his hair, which he refused. After awhile, I asked "You guys hungry?" 

Natasha said "Actually, I gotta get back to work." Bucky pouted and she smiled. She said "Don't worry Bucky Boy....I'll see you again soon...Steve's got my number." He nodded and asked "Promise?" She patted his back and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I promise. Be good, okay?" 

He nodded and said "Yes ma'am." She smiled and they both stood up. They hugged and she said "I'm so glad to see you're happy...Steve's a good one." They both looked over at me, and he smiled. "Yeah, he is." And Natasha left.

Sam stayed longer and Bucky excused himself to go use the bathroom. Sam looked over at me and said "I haven't seen him this happy since before I left....You being good to him?" I nodded and said "Of course." He nodded and said "Good...He's a good guy. He's been through so much, and I don't wanna see him get hurt again."

I said "No ones ever gonna hurt him again. I'll he sure of that." He nodded and said "Good...Cause if you hurt him, I will personally come down here and fuck you up. Don't let the ears and the tail, fool you." I said "I'd kill myself before hurting him. I've taken good care of him so far, and it's gonna stay that way." 

He nodded and said "You're alright, Steve." I nodded and said "Thank you." Then Bucky came back in. He smiled and asked "You staying for dinner, Sam?" He shook his head and said "Nah man, I gotta go soon." His face dropped and said "Oh.."

Same smiled and said "But, that doesn't mean I can't see you again...Maybe Steve here can work something out again." Bucky smiled and looked over at me. I nodded and said "Yeah, I think I can arrange something." Then they hugged and Sam said "It was great seeing you again, Buck...You look good, man." Bucky smiled and said "Yeah, you too...Bye buddy."

Sam looked at me and said "Remember what I said." I nodded and then he left. I went over and closed and locked the door, before turning to see Bucky standing there. He asked "Remember what?" I drew my eyebrows together and asked "Huh?" He said "Sam said for you to remember something, remember what?" 

I chuckled and said "Nothing, Buck...Just him looking out for you." He nodded and then slowly came over. He smiled and asked "You really did that for me?" I smiled and said "Of course I did....I wanted you to be happy." His smile grew and he got closer. 

I swallowed when he was close enough, and he out his hands on my shoulders. I was trapped between the front door, and Bucky. He asked "Oh ya?" I nodded and said "Yeah." He smiled and said "I kissed you.." I nodded and said "Yeah, you did." He said "You know I meant that, right?" I raised an eyebrow and asked "You did?" He nodded and said "I did it, I meant it."

I smiled and his hands slid down to my chest. I felt that knot from earlier, tighten, except it wasn't out of anger. He leaned in and looked up at me through his lashes. He said "I wouldn't kiss anyone, if I didn't mean to..." I asked "Am I the first person you've kissed?" He shook his head and said "No...But you're the only one I've wanted to kiss..."

I swallowed and asked "What are you doing?" He smiled and said "I wanna do it again.." He leaned in until his mouth was about an inch from mine. He asked "Do you want me to?" A big part of me wanted to say no. But I ended up saying "Yes." Which ended with Bucky bringing his right hand up to the back of my neck and pulling me in, until his lips were on mine. But this time, I wasn't surprised.

And my eyes weren't open. 


	14. Chapter 14

**_Hey guys! PLEASE PLEASE FORGIVE ME, I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER, PLEASE DON'T LOSE INTEREST IN THIS STORY, I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO AWAY!! :'( </3. I just felt like all the errors I've been shown, made me feel really stupid...I didn't really think things through fully, before I started writing this. Mainly cause I didn't think any of you would like it. But PLEASE DON'T GO, I LOVE YOU! <3._ **

* * *

 

I wanted to say no, because I was worried Bucky wasn't thinking clearly. And I didn't wanna push him, with his past abuse. But I didnt wanna push him away and hurt him. And a part of me also wanted him to kiss me and me kiss him back.

I wasn't seeing anyone before I went to Shield. I Wasn't really ready for a relationship, and with my job, I'm too busy. Although I've had lots of girls try, and even some guys hit on me, I kindly declined.

But with Bucky, I don't care if I'm busy. If I could, I'd quit and devote every waking moment of my life to him and making him happy. I think I fell for Bucky, the moment I laid eyes on him at the shelter. 

But right now, I now feel like this is wrong. I shouldn't be doing this. As much as I don't wanna hurt Bucky, he's not thinking clearly. This needs time. As much as it would hurt, I want him to trust me more. So I pulled away.

He looked at me confused and asked "What is it?" I took a deep breath and said "Buck...I think...I don't think you're thinking clearly." His confusion only grew and he asked "What do you mean?" I asked "You were afraid of your own shadow when I first saw you. Natasha said you had tryst issues...Yet you haven't known me long, and now you're sleeping in my bed with me, and kissing me. Why?"

He didn't answer, he just stared at me. I could see the hurt on his face and in his eyes, and he just stood there. After a few minutes, he just shook his head and backed away. Then he turned and headed up the stairs. 

"Bucky, wait!" I followed him up there and I saw him turn into the guest room. Before I could go in, he slammed the door in my face. It was close enough to where it almost smacked me in the nose.

I tried the doorknob, but he had locked the door. I knocked a couple times and asked "Bucky? Bucky please, I didn't mean to-" "Go away Steve!" I sighed and gnetly pressed my forehead against the door. "Bucky please-" "LEAVE. ME. ALONE!" I stepped back and nodded as if he could see it, and walked downstairs into the living room.

I sat down on the couch and buried my face in my hands. I just ruined everything. Sam should come back and kick my ass, I deserve it. But unfortunately, his guy was waiting outside and they're back home. But I deserve to get my ass kicked. 

 

* * *

 

(2 Weeks Later)

 

It's been almost 2 weeks, since Bucky last spoke to me. Hell, he'd barely look at me. He takes baths by himself now, without my help. Well he's capable of taking baths and showers by himself, but he liked it when I helped him. But him and Dodger are still inseparable. I don't blame him, I'm still kicking my ass about it. 

I haven't told Natasha and Sam about him being mad at me. They'd kick my ass for sure. Again, I wouldn't mind it actually. I feel like shit for hurting Bucky. But I didn't wanna take advantage of him like that. He doesn't deserve it.

I don't think Pierce knows what I know. But after Bucky told me that him and Brock hurt him, I got a new and improved security system. And if they still try to come after them, I have some tools to use and personally fuck them up. So I've just been playing dumb for Pierce, and hopefully that works. But then again, he could still come after us. And every time I see Pierce, it takes everything in me not to make him wish he was never born.

I walked through the door after a long ads day, and sighed. I yelled "I'm home!" Not expecting an answer. Dodger bolted towards me, and started attacking me with love, and I gave it right back. Then he disappeared into the living room. Bucky was sitting there watching TV. He didn't look over at me.

I've tried to tell him I was sorry every day since it happened, but he'd just ignore me. I went to sit next to him, and that's when he got up at started to leave. I swallowed and quietly asked "Bucky?" And he stopped. He didn't turn around, but he just stood there. I said "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry for what I did. I didn't mean to hurt you, I just didn't wanna take advantage of you...And I don't blame you for being mad at me...I just wanted to tell you again that I'm sorry. I just hope you can forgive me."

He stood there for a few minutes, his back facing me. I watched his ears move and his tail swish. He turned his head towards me a little, before turning back and going upstairs. Every day since, he would head straight upstairs as soon as I'd get home, and slam the door shut. Or if I was here all day, he would just stay in there. He wouldn't come out unless he had to. This time, he didn't slam the door. Hell, I don't even know if he shut the door. But I took it as a good sign.

 

* * *

 

After dinner was finished, Bucky walked into the kitchen. I let him eat in the guest bedroom since he didn't wanna talk to me or look at me, hut this time, he sat down at the table.

I was a little surprised, but it made me happy. He didn't really look at me, but he came down, and that was good enough for me. I smiled and gently put his plate down in front of him, and we ate in silence. 

When we were finished, Bucky was still sitting at the table while I was doing the dishes. I was washing a plate when Bucky asked "You really wanna know why I trusted you so quickly?" I nearly dropped the plate, but I kept my hold on it, and looked over at him. I nodded and said "Yeah...But it's up to you, you don't have to tell me."

Bucky asked "Did Natasha ever tell you that we can sense when someone is good or bad?" I nodded and said "Yeah." He said "Well for us, we can visually see if someone is good or bad. It's like a light surrounds a person, and the brighter the light, the better. That's when we can see someone is good. But the dimmer the light....Well, ya know. I know it sounds really weird, but we see it, I see it, we don't know why we have that."

I nodded and said "Natasha told me because of all you've been through, you couldn't see who was good or bad, anymore.." He nodded and said "That's mostly true. When I was first with Alexander and Brock, they had a good light going. And over time, I just watched it get dimmer and dimmer, until they were basically surrounded by black...They knew how to hide it, I guess, I dunno.."

I gently put the plate down in the sunk and asked "What do you see with me?" He smiled at me and said "I could almost go blind just looking at you. You're shining like Jesus just walked into the building. But thankfully, I could still see your face. I've see you this way since I first saw you. And I knew then, that if your glow was that bright, I knew I could warm up to you...Just needed a little time, but I got over it."

"Bucky, I would've given you all the time in the world. You can trust me, I would never intentionally hurt you." He nodded and said "I know." I smiled a little and asked "So I'm Jesus to you now, huh?" He giggled and said "Yeah, kinda. You always were. I wouldn't just kiss anyone, Steve." I nodded and smiled "I know."


	15. Chapter 15

After we left the kitchen, he sat me down and said "There's something you should know about me, Steve. Something I wanted to let you know. You know I'm not a virgin, that's pretty obvious by now...But there was only one person I intentionally slept with. The only person I gave my consent to.."

He stopped for a minute and looked down at his hands. I said "It's okay, Buck." He looked back up and said "I slept with Brock." I raised an eyebrow and asked "With Brock?" He nodded and said "Yeah. One day when Alexander was gone, it was just him and I in the house. It was just a normal day. Umm...We were watching TV in the living room, and talking about something, I can't remember what. Soon, we started flirting with each other. He told me I was beautiful, and that he liked my ears and my tail, and the color, stuff like that. Well flirting turned into kissing, and we ended up having sex on the couch...He was really sweet about it, the whole time..."

It hurt listening to what he was saying. Not cause of what they did, but how He treated him. I could picture it. Him being so nice to him, loving him, and then just doing a 180 and was beating him. Again, I don't see much of Brock, but if I ever saw him again, it would take more than an army to keep me from killing him.

He sighed and said "And before everything went to total hell, we did it a few more times. After the first time, we thought that maybe this could be something more, and we made love a few more times. Any chance he could get if Alexander was gone or in a different room, he'd kiss me. If we were just alone, he'd kiss me for what felt like hours, or we'd... Well, ya know.."

I nodded and asked "Did you love him?" He chuckled and said "Honestly...Yeah, I think I was starting to...He was treating me so well, being so sweet, yeah I think I was falling for him...But not anymore. After what happened with the milk, all hell broke loose in the house. And I looked at Brock for help. I knew he could save me from him...But the way he looked at me, it's like he was someone else. The sweet, gentle guy I knew..The one who thought I was beautiful, and made love to me every chance we could...It's like he just vanished. Poof! Gone."

I nodded and said "That's just horrible..How could he do that?" He shrugged and said "Maybe he was afraid of what Alexander could do...I mean, Brock pretty much saved me from the drowning, and some of the worser beatings. Doesn't really change all the other things he did. But he's partially the reason I'm not a barbequed corpse right now."

"I wanna kill Alexander Pierce. I wanna make him feel what he made you feel." He said "But you'd become no better than them." He was right. Do I wanna kill them both? Very much so, yes. But if they come after us and try to hurt us, then I'll take care of it. I nodded and said "You're right, Buck..But if they hurt you again, I'll hurt them." He nodded and said "Okay."

He then scooted over to me, and kissed my forehead. I smiled and asked "What was that for?" He smiled and said "For being you. You're a good man, Steve Rogers." 

 

* * *

 

(3 Weeks Ago)

 

(Brock's POV)

 

I was walking back to my truck, when my phone started ringing. I dug it out of my pocket, and saw it was my Uncle Alex. "Yeah?" "Brock. Where are you?" I said "I just got to my truck, I'm about to leave the site, what's up?" I climbed in and closed the door behind me, and he said "He's alive." "What was that?" "I said, he's still alive. Bucky." 

I froze and asked "How do you know?" He said "Steve Rogers. He told me he has him, said he rescued him from some shelter." Steve Rogers. The human golden retriever, with a shoulder to waist ratio of a fucking Dorito. He's a pretty nice guy, pretty calm. He's a good artist, from what I've seen from all the plans for all the buildings I've helped on. A lot of the guys get along with this kid.

"Oh." Was all I could say. He said "Yeah, big fucking Oh! He shouldn't be alive, that fire should've cooked him! We gotta finish the job." I swallowed and said "Are um...Are you definitely sure Rogers said he has him?" "I heard it with my own fucking ears Brock, yes he's got him!"

"Do you think we should go after them? We don't know what Rogers could do, if he knows anything." "What do you think, Brock?" _Yeah, he's serious._ I swallowed and said "Well um...Don't you think we should just leave the kid alone? I mean, haven't we done enough-" 

"Oh I see...You're soft on him, aren't you? You must be after how many times you two have fucked in my house!" My eyes went wide, and I thought my heart stopped for a second. How could he have possibly found that out? But I just tried to play it cool and asked "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Boy. I'm not stupid. I know...It's kind of cute, really. You having a soft spot for that little cocksucker. That kind of shit will kill you one day, Brock. We have to get rid of them both."

"Why though, what's so bad about it?! I don't think Rogers could take us down, Bucky has almost no rights! Why do we have to kill him-" "LISTEN TO ME YOU SON OF A WHORE, I RAISED YOU, YOU BELONG TO ME! YOU DO EXACTLY WHAT I SAY, WHEN I SAY IT, OR YOU'LL GET A FUCKING TAG ON YOUR TOE, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

I swallowed and felt tears coming. I hate him. I'll find a way to kill the bastard. But I'm not gonna let him hurt them. Time to do some world class acting. "Yeah. Yeah, I got it." "Good. You know I don't like yelling at you, Brock, but you can't go all sentimental over some science experiment." I clenched my jaw and asked "When do you wanna do this?"

"Not yet. Now isn't the right time. We gotta do it when they least expect it. Could take months. Whether that little bitch told Rogers anything or not. They gotta go." I nodded and said "Yes, Sir." "Good boy. Alright, I'll let you go, get home safe. Love you." "Love you too." "Oh and Brock....Don't let me down." I said "I won't." Before pressing the end button. I then put my phone down in one of the cupholders, and said "Cocksucker." Before driving off.

 

* * *

 

_**Okay, so I'm sorry if this second part was a little confusing cause of the timeline, but I put it the day Pierce finds out Bucky's alive. I probably should've put it on that chapter then, but I didn't think about it till now. Now Brock hasn't warned Steve about what Pierce could be concocting, but he'll warn him soon :).** _

_**I hope this makes up for not updating on this one for awhile, and I plan to keep updating Come What May, so bear with me! :). And I hope the one shot and the new story I talked about, launches off great, after they're posted! Just not yet :) :p <3.** _


	16. Chapter 16

"Is everything ready to launch tomorrow?" Tony asked, referring to our newest project. I nodded and said "Yep. Got all the guys we need, we're all geared up, tomorrow's good."

"You going to the launch party tomorrow?" At the beginning of every project we start, Pierce throws a party in the office to celebrate. But knowing what I know now, I don't wanna go to the party. He can go to Hell. 

But I just shook my head and said "Nah man, those parties aren't that great. I think I'll pass." Tony said "Awe c'mon man! Lighten up a little! We've designed a beautiful masterpiece, and you just wanna stay home instead of having some fun?"

I said "I promised Bucky I'd be home tomorrow night. I told him about the party." "Well then, bring him with you? C'mon, everyone would like him-" "No, everyone would crowd around like he's a circus act. And I don't want him around you, you're a bad influence." 

He put a hand over his heart and said "I am truly offended Steven." I chuckled and said "You'll live." That's when there was a knock on the door. We looked over and I froze when I saw Brock. He looked right at me and said "Hey guys, um...Have you seen Alex? I came here to talk to him, but he wasn't in his office. Know where he could be?"

I clenched my jaw and said "I dunno. Have you checked anywhere else?" He said "Yeah, but I still got nothin'." I nodded and Tony said "Crap, I gotta go. You're a disappointment of a best friend, Rogers. Later pal." I said "See ya Tony." And he left, leaving just Brock and I.

I asked "So why are you really here?" He looked at me confused and asked "What?" I said "Don't play games with me....You know what I'm talking about. I know. I know everything." He looked down and swallowed and said "Figured you did...How is he?"

I felt my body heating up, and I said "Get in here, close the door behind you." He nodded and did that, and I asked "Do you have any idea what hell you put him through?? He trusted you!" "I know...I know, look Steve-" "No, don't talk. It doesn't do you any good." I quickly went over to him and he backed up against the wall. "Whoa, whoa! Easy big guy. Look-" I pushed him up against the wall and gripped his shirt. 

I said "I oughta choke the life out of you, right now. Hell, I'd do it in front of everyone, I don't care. But you have the nerve to come to my office, and talk to me? And ask how Bucky's doing? You tried to kill him, you scarred him, he's missing an arm because of what you did. You could've stopped him, but you just let him hurt Bucky. You're no better than he is."

Brock said "I know, I know, I'm a piece of shit, alright? I didn't wanna hurt him, and I wanna kill my Uncle as much as you want to...Did Bucky tell you about....Us?" I nodded and said "Yeah. And how you betrayed him when he was starting to fall in love with you...You're disgusting."

He said "It was happening to me to, man. I cared about Bucky, hell, I was falling for him to...But after Alex snapped, I had to play along. You think you know him? You don't know him like I do. You have no clue what he's capable of. Every time I hurt Bucky or Alex did, it killed me. I didn't deserve him, and I would give everything to take it all back...But I came here to warn you."

I loosened my grip on his shirt, but didn't let go. I asked "Warn me about what?" He said "A couple weeks ago, Alex called me when I was about to leave one of the sites. He told me Bucky was still alive. I didn't believe him at first, but he said you told him you had him. He said you two gotta go."

"What?" He said "He said that you two need to be taken out. I should've told you earlier, but I didn't know how. Steve, he won't stop. He wants Bucky dead, and you two. He'll never stop until it's done." _Oh my God_. Bucky's at home right now, alone.

I asked "Where's Alex?" He said "I don't know. I swear. Why?" I said "Shit. Shit, Bucky's alone at my house!" I quickly ran over to my desk and called my home phone. Even though I have a cell phone, I have a home phone too. Three rings later, Bucky picked up.

"Hello?" I said "Bucky? Bucky, are you okay?" He said "Yeah Steve, I'm alright. I'm watching TV, what's wrong?" I said "Brock. He came to my office and told me that Alexander wants us dead." "What?! And you believe him?!" I said "Yes, He said Alexander wouldn't stop until our bodies are in the ground...And we don't know where he is...I'm worried he might come after you."

"Oh my God...Steve-" I said "Listen, I'm leaving right now, just hide until I get home. Find something to protect yourself with, just in case. I'll be home as soon as I possibly can. Okay?" He said "Okay." And he hung up. I ran my fingers through my hair and said "I gotta go, this isn't over."

I started walked to the door and he said "I'm coming with you." "No you're not." "Look, if someone's in your house, two would be better than one. I could take 'em if someone was there." I stopped and thought for a second before I said "Alright, fine." Then I turned around and said "But you stay the hell away from him." He nodded and we headed out.


	17. Chapter 17

People couldn't move fast enough, I swear. But after what felt like hours, I finally made it home. There weren't any signs of forced entry, none of the windows were broken, and the front and back doors were still in tact. Brock and sweeped the outside, while I checked the inside. I checked almost everywhere, ans there was no one here. 

That's when I relaxed and yelled "Bucky!" No answer. "Bucky! I'm home!" "Steve?" I nearly broke my neck whipping my head around at the sound of his voice. "Bucky? Where are you?" "In your room! In the closet!" He called back. My room was the only room I didn't check. So when I got there, I quickly looked around, before going to the closet. 

I opened the door and saw Bucky sitting on the floor, next to an aluminum baseball bat. I sighed and said "Thank God. You okay?" He nodded and I dropped down next to him and pulled him into a hug. He hugged back and I said "I was so worried about you...Are you sure you're okay?" He said "Yes, I'm fine." 

I kissed the top of his head and that's when Brock wsd at the door and he said "All clear." Bucky quickly pulled himself out of the hug, and scooted back against the wall, at the sight of him. He said "Get away from me." To him and I said "Bucky, it's okay." He said "No it's not, he's gonna hurt me again!" 

I said "Bucky, he won't hurt you. I swear. I wouldn't let him." I looked over at Brock, gave him a look, and he put his hands up and backed up. I said "I only brought him here, in case someone was here. That's all. Trust me, I'd love to take this bat and turn him into a piñata, but I needed his help. He won't hurt you anymore, I promise you."

I pulled him against me to prove he's safe and he nodded. "Okay." He looked over at Brock and gave him a cold look. Brock nodded and said "It's great to see you, Buck... Steve really cares about you. He's a good guy." Bucky nodded and said "Yeah, I know." Never taking his eyes off him.

Brock nodded and said "I'm just happy that you're happy." Before walking out of the room. I sat there holding Bucky for a few minutes, before I asked "Is it okay if I go an talk to him? I'll be right back, I promise." He nodded and I gave him a quick squeeze, before getting up and going after Brock.

I followed him downstairs into the kitchen and he leaned up against the counter by the sink. He folded his arms over his chest and looked down. He said "I deserve it. I hurt him. He's in good hands with you." I said "You know, he said technically, you saved him. You save him from drowning and from getting beat to death." "Yeah, but I couldn't save him from the fire. After he set it, we bailed. I left there thinking he was dead. And now seeing him again, Jesus...It's like I just saw a ghost."

I said "You told us what your uncle was planning. Why?" He looked up and said "Cause I couldn't kill him again. Even though he's not dead, I thought he was. I couldn't let it happen again." I nodded and said "One thing bothers me though...Did you know that Nekos have a visual sense of if someone is good or bad?" He nodded and said "Yeah, he told me that once." 

I said "When you and Alex turned dark side, he said it was like you two were surrounded by black. Meaning that you're a God awful human being. Yet you're here." Suddenly a voice behind me said "I didn't see black surrounding him. Just Alexander." We looked over to see Bucky standing there. He said "His light wasn't black. It was more of a medium dark brown. That told me he was fighting not to turn into Alexander."

He stepped forward and asked "Can I talk to him for a minute? In private?" I asked "You sure Buck?" He nodded and said "I'm sure. It won't be too long." I nodded and said "Okay. I'll be in the living room. Yell if you need me." He nodded and I walked out.

 

* * *

 

(Bucky's POV)

 

After Steve left, I turned to Brock. I kept my distance. He looked up at me and said "You grew your hair out." I said "Well a few months in a shelter after surving a fury inferno, it'll happen. I didn't choose to grow it out." He nodded and said "It suits you." 

"Why are you here, Rumlow? Why are you doing this?" He asked "How much did you hear?" I said "Just when you guys were talking about how we see people." He said "I couldn't lose you again." I chewed the inside of my cheek and crossed my arms over my chest. "I was never yours." 

He said "To me, you were. I don't just fuck around, Bucky." He said "Look, I fucked up. Alright? I know. Hell if you came up and punched me in the face and kicked me in the balls, I'd let you. I wanna kill him just as much as your man there does." I said "Steve isn't my man."

He raised an eyebrow and asked "Really? You sure about that?" I asked "What do you mean?" He asked "You see the way he looks at you? How he was in the closet, how much he was in a hurry for us to get here? The big guy almost killed us a few times on our way here. And the way he his around you...I used to be that way around you. Still am."

I thought back to when I kissed Steve. And when he kissed me back, but then shot me down. Then I said "You had your chance. Didn't work out too well, if I remember correctly." He said "I know. I thought about you every day. Before and after the fire. I loved you, Buck, you know that. You could see I was falling, and I saw it in you. You loved me." "Loved, being the key word." 

He said "You have every right to hate me, and I don't expect you to ever forgive me. I don't deserve your forgiveness, and I never deserved you. You were the most beautiful thing in the world to me, and you got hurt cause I didn't have the balls to stand up and fight for you. And I'll take that with me all the rest of my miserable life, and straight down to Hell.

But what you got here, is a good thing. You gotta good thing going here, Buck. Steve's a good man, hell take care of you. I had my chance, and I blew it all to shit. But I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I'm sorry with every fiber of my miserable soul, and I just hope you know that. You don't have to forgive me, it's okay. Just you being here for me to say that, that's enough for me. Cause I never thought I'd get to say it after the fire."

He looked over at my metal arm and I followed his gaze down at it. I said "I was stuck in the attic while the fire was eating the house. It collapsed, somehow I didn't die, probably cause the fire fighters put out most of it. But it collapsed, I fell, and they couldn't save it. But they gave me this."

He nodded and I said "I forgive you. You did save me from drowning and other things. You're nothing like him. Although you still hurt me. I forgive you. But don't expect me to trust you that easy." He nodded and said "I know. And I won't stop until he's dead." I nodded and said "I believe you."


	18. Chapter 18

(Steve's POV)

 

Soon they came out of the kitchen, and Brock said "Alright, I'm gonna call a cab. My trucks still at the office." I said "I could take you back-" He chuckled and said "I think after that rollercoaster, I'll pass. But thanks for the offer, really I don't mind." 

30 minutes later the cab came and he said "I'll keep you guys updated. Just...Be careful, alright?" We nodded and he looked over at Bucky. He said "Think about what I said. Cause I meant it." Bucky nodded and Brock left.

As soon as the door shut, Bucky just dropped down onto his knees and started crying. I quickly joined him and said "Hey...Hey, it's okay, Buck. It's okay, I'm here, shhh." I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him. He quickly hugged back and buried his head in my shoulder. He said "Brock apologized...For everything. He still loves me, but I'm afraid. " 

I said "I know, Buck. I'm scared too. But if Alexander even looks at you, I'm gonna end him. I just need to keep you safe. I hope you know that I will keep you safe." He nodded and said "I know. I know you can." Soon he broke the hug and wiped his eyes. He asked "Can...Can we watch TV?" I smiled at him and said "Of course, buddy."

 

* * *

 

After an hour of watching TV in silence, I asked "Was it a bad thing that I brought him here? I knew how you'd react, but...I just wanted to make sure you were safe. Cause I felt like I crossed the line." He looked over at me and said "No, no you didn't. If it was Pierce, oh most definitely. You would've long jumped that line if you brought him here...Brock isn't as bad."

I nodded and asked "So he told you he still loves you? After everything?" Ge nodded and said "Yeah. But I don't feel the same way. Not anymore, in case you haven't noticed. Why? You jealous?" I chuckled and said "Just wondering. It looks like he'd do _anything_ to get your forgiveness." 

He said "He already did. I told him I forgive him. But I still don't trust him. A piece of me still cares about him with how he was before...But I can't risk it taking hold. Not anymore." I said "And that's fine. That's perfectly understandable. Trust is earned, not automatically given."

He nodded and said "Very true. And once it's gone, it won't be the same as it was before." I nodded and he said "I don't know if I'm worth all this, Steve. You wanting to go to Hell and back to protect me. I'm not important." 

I said "Bucky, you are important. Very important-" "To who?" "To me." He said "Look at me, Steve. Look! I'm half cat! I was born in a fucking lab, I don't know who my parents are, hell, I don't think I even have a birthday! Do you think they'd honestly make birth certificates for us? Keep records? We're experiments. The only reason I know how old I am, is cause I was born in 1991. 

I know that, cause when I was born, I got a dog tag. Each of us had a dog tag that just stated our names and the year we were born. All mine had was Bucky and 1991. I don't know if my real name is Bucky. That's the name I've known my whole life. I've never heard my parents voice, or felt any form of nurturing until I was with that older couple. They were the closest to parents that I'd ever get. And their dead.

I have no rights, Steve. I may be more human that cat, but the government and everyone else, sees me as a pet. You wanted to teach me how to drive and use the internet, and get my own phone, but what makes you think that could happen? I have no rights, none. I'm seen as either a pet, or a threat. And people usually don't teach their cats and dogs how to drive! Hell, Sam came here with the guy who rescued him. He can't drive or walk or call a cab. He waited outside for him until he was done." 

I said "Buck, calm down. I know you're scared, okay? And I figured you wouldn't get to do anything like that, but that doesn't mean it won't ever happen." He just huffed and asked "What, are you gonna march down to Capital Hill or The White House, and demand equal rights? No one would listen to you." I said "They will. But Bucky, please don't ever say you're not important. You are important. And I'm not the only who thinks that.

Natasha thinks you're important. Bruce does. Brock does. My friend Tony probably would, if you ever met him. Hell if my Ma was still alive, she'd adore you. And she'd fight anyone who says otherwise about you. But you are important, Buck. Don't ever doubt that. Just don't, please."

 

* * *

 

After dinner, we found ourselves back in the living room. It was quiet for a little while, when he asked "What was your mom like?" I looked over at him and I smiled. "She was my best friend. A wonderful woman, and everyone who knew her, loved her. Nobody ever had anything bad to say about her. I was her only child. We didn't have much. After my dad died, things got rough for us. He died when I was 2, maybe 3. I can't hardly remember anything about him.

But Ma, she worked hard to keep our heads above water. But it was hard being a single mom, especially when I used to get sick all the time. I wasn't always like how I am now. When I was 14, I weighed 95 pounds, was 5'4" and had a ton of health problems. Asthma being the most popular one."

"Really? How did you manage to change?" I smiled and said "Changed my eating, ate a lot of foods that were good for me. Worked hard for where my body's at right now. But it was hard sometimes. I didn't go out for sports, cause it would've been too much. I'd get an Asthma attack every day if I played sports. Ma was praying hard for me to get better. That's all I ever heard her pray about. I was first, helping us get through the hard times was second, all our friends and family third, and herself the last. 

Then at some point I noticed that I felt different. My breathing felt normal, I ran down the block without getting an attack. Then I must've gotten some massive growth spurt, and went from 5'4" to 6'2". It wasn't all at the same time, it was slowly happening over time. Then I worked hard to be as healthy as I am now, and it felt like all my problems just disappeared. Ma called it a miracle."

He said "She seems nice." I smiled and said "She was. God bless her soul, she was. She was the most wonderful woman I ever knew. I loved her, was protective of her. Sometimes a little over protective...She was my world. I miss her so much. She died a few years ago. Cancer, she couldn't shake it. Every month when I have the time, I go visit her grave. Stay there awhile, talk to her. If she was here, she'd love you. She'd go crazy over you, spoil you, she'd love you, Buck." He smiled and said "I think I would too. Have you seen her this month?"

I said "No, not yet. Got caught up in work. But next time I go, I'll bring you with me if you want. You can meet her and my dad. They're beside each other." He said "Steve, that's your thing, I don't have to go." I said "I don't mind, Buck. Really, I'd love to have you there." He still looked uneasy about it, but said "Okay."

 


	19. Chapter 19

_**Sorry I've been gone, I wanted to take a little break and think. But I'm back, don't worry :).** _

 

* * *

 

After I brought up going to Ma's grave yesterday, I decided to take the day off today and go see her. I've gone to her grave every month since she died. I haven't broken that chain, and I don't want to. Mainly cause I'm afraid if I do, Ma  come down from Heaven and whack me with a wooden spoon.

That morning, I woke up and looked over at Bucky. He's decided he's gonna be sleeping in bed with me from now on. Again, I do realize he's trusted me rather quickly, but he saw something different in me. He knows I'd never break his trust. And I plan to keep it that way.

He hasn't had nightmares since the first night he was here. Sometimes I  can feel him shifting a lot next to me, but I don't think he's having a nightmare while he's moving. He moves a lot when he sleeps. But we don't cuddle while we sleep. The closest to that, would be Bucky curling up next to me, or is away from me, but has his head on my shoulder.

I wish I could hold him while he sleeps. Make him feel safe during the night. But I don't wanna push it, so I don't. I wish I could, though. I don't think Bucky's ever held him like that, before. Well Brock probably has, but he probably hasn't since everything went to shit with them.

I sat up and looked down at him. God, he's beautiful. He was curled in a ball on his side, and was facing me. His ears twitched and his tail was hidden by the covers. His lips were slightly parted, and I could see his torso move steady while he was breathing. He looked at peace. And I was about to ruin it by waking him up for breakfast.

As much as I didn't want to, I reached my hand out and gently shook him. I whispered "Bucky. Wake up, Buck." That's when he started to stir. He then groaned and opened his eyes a little and I smiled. He blinked a few times and asked "What time is it?" I said "Time to get up, buddy. Big day today."

He knew what I meant. He nodded and said "Okay." Before yawning. His little fangs showed while he yawned, and it was adorable. He then sat up and asked "Can...You carry me? I don't wamma walk." I chuckled and said "Sure, Buck."

I went over to his side and he moved to get ready. I asked "How do you want it? Piggy back or Bridal style?" He said "Bridal. Please." I nodded and he held his arms out to me. I said "Hang on, buddy." I reached one arm under his legs and wrapped the other around his waist. He looped his arms around me neck and then I scooped him up. He was surprisingly light. 

He rested his head against my shoder and closed his eyes. He said "Onward." Before I started moving. I carefully carried him all the way downstairs to the kitchen, avoiding Dodger jumping everywhere. When we got to the kitchen, I said "Okay now I'm gonna put you on your feet, alright?" He nodded and I gently set him down on his feet, before pulling his chair out for him.

He sat down and I said "Are you that tired, buddy?" He shrugged and said "I don't know...I slept good last night, but I feel like the life got sucked out of me." I chuckled and said "Sounds exciting." He gave me a sleepy smile and said "It's adrenaline pumping." 

I smiled and he asked "Are you excited to see her." I nodded and said "Yeah...Are you?" He nodded and said "Yeah...A little nervous, though." I smiled and said "Don't be. They'll love you." He raised an eyebrow and asked "They?" I chuckled and said "Ma and dad. They're buried next to each other." He nodded and said "Oh." I nodded and said "Well first, we gotta make a stop somewhere."

 

* * *

 

I parked the car in front of the shop and said "I come here every month to pick up new flowers. I know the owner." He nodded and I smiled. I said "C'mon." And we got out. 

When we got inside, the smell of flowers hit me hard. Thankfully my pollen allergy problem had greatly subsided over the years. It looked like no one else was around, and I called out "Peggy?"

Suddenly I heard a familiar voice say "I see you're here, Steven." Peggy stepped out into view and smiled. "Always good to see you again. Is it that time alreasy?"

I nodder and said "Yeah." 

She smiled and then she looked over at Bucky. She smiled and said "Goodness....Who are you?" I smiled and she asked "Wait, is this him? Is this Bucky?" 

I nodded and said "Yeah, Peg. This is Bucky. Bucky, this is my friend Peggy." 

He smiled a little and said "Hi."

She said "Hello, darling. My Steven you weren't joking. He really is beautiful." 

My eyes went wide and I could feel myself blush, and Bucky asked "Wait...What?"

Peggy laughed and said "Oh dear...Bucky Darling, for the past couple of months, this boy would not stop talking about you. Everything was Bucky, Bucky, Bucky. About drove me mad." 

I signed and said "Thanks Peggy." And she just smiled.

Bucky smiled big and asked "Really?" 

She said "Oh yes Love, he's bonkers about you, from what I've seen. I've known him for years, I can see it. We used to date back in the day, and the way he's looking at you...It's the same way he used to look at me."

_Oh my God Peggy, Please stop._

Bucky's smile only grew, if that was even possible, and he just looked over at me. He looked like he was about to say something, but didn't. 

Peggy asked "Your usual today, Steve?" I nodded and she said "Alright."

She walked away, leaving me with Bucky. I looked at him and his blue eyes flowed bright in the sunlight. The light also made the black of his ears shine. His smile was bright. It gave me goosebumps.

_So beautiful._

Then Peggy returned and said "Alright, a dozen longstem white and red roses. Fresh as always, Just for you." 

I smiled and said "Thank you Peggy."

She smiled and "Any time. Shall I ring you up?"

I nodded and I paid. 

She smiled and said "Do come back again. Although I know you will, it's always nice to have your company, Steven. And bring Bucky back too."

We smiled and I said "Will do. See you soon, Peg." 


	20. Chapter 20

The car rode there was mostly quiet. But it didn't last long. 

He said "Peggy seems really nice." 

I smiled and said "She is."

"How long were you guys together?"

I said "We met in high school. We started dating in our Sophomore year. She's a great girl."

"What happened?"

I swallowed and said "She was with me when my mom got worse...And during her last days. After she died, I was in a bad place. I didn't go hang out with my friends, I hardly talked, hardly ate, couldn't sleep. She'd wake me up and I'd be crying and sweating...Sometimes screaming. I could hardly even look at her. I saw pieces of her in Peggy. After a couple months, we ended it. After she died, I wasn't the same guy Peggy knew, and I couldn't go back. Thankfully, Peggy and I ended on good terms, and she's still my friend."

I looked over at him and he said "I'm sorry."

I smiled and looked back at the road. I said "You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm just happy I was there with her before she went...Dad died when I was real little. From then, it was just Ma and I. I loved every second I had with her. She really was a wonderful woman. A Godly woman. Now she's with dad. She's in a much better place. Not suffering anymore."

I kept my eyes on the road, and looked up at the sky. The sky was grey with some clouds. There were a lot of clouds in the distance, so it might rain today. I like the rain. It's very peaceful. But I don't like it when it's raining too hard, and neither does Dodger. He's not a big fan of storms. 

He asked "But what about you?"

"What about me?"

He asked "You said she wasn't suffering anymore...But what about you?"

I smiled a little and asked "What, you think I'm suffering?"

"Are you?"

I said "No. Not anymore. After she died, yeah I was hurt. Heartbroken, if felt lime someone looked me in the eyes while tearing my heart from my chest. It hurt for a long time. But again, she's not in pain anymore. That's enough for me...But I'm okay. I had good friends..."

I looked over him and said "And I've made some new ones." 

He smiled and that's when I saw the cemetery. I said "We're here."

I found a place to park, and we got out. I went over to the trunk and pulled out a blanket. I use this blanket all the time when I come here. So I can sit and talk to them. Yeah, sitting down and talking to a couple headstones thinking they'd talk back to me, sounds crazy.

I looked over at him and smiled. "C'mon." He followed me until I saw them up ahead. They have a nice spot under a weeping willow. They've got enough room from everyone else so we wouldn't disturb their neighbors.

I stopped and unfolded the blanket, before sitting it down next to them. I sat down and he followed. I smiled and looked over at them. First name I saw was Sarah Rogers. 

"Hey Ma. I'm back. I got your flowers." 

I set the flowers next to me and said "I brought someone with me...He's happy to meet you guys." 

I looked over at Bucky and smiled "Ma, Dad. This is Bucky. He's someone very special. He's been through a lot, and I've been taking care of him for a little while. He's got no one else. I told him about you guys, and he wanted to meet you."

He smiled and looked away from me over to the graves. He got up and went around until he was standing right in front of them. But he wasn't standing on them. 

He squatted down and smiled. "Hello, Mr and Mrs. Rogers. I'm Bucky...Not much of name, I know. It's the only one I have. I've been living with your son for awhile. He's been very kind to me, and I don't deserve his kindness. He's a very good man, and I'm happy to have him...I don't know where I'd be without him.."

He looked over at me and smiled. "He's been changing me life...And I feel like I'm changing his."

Suddenly sunlight was shining through the willow and we looked up at it. It wasn't a lot of light, but I remember Ma once saying something. She said she loved the way sunlight shines through a tree. She said it's a beautiful thing. So I imagined that she was doing that.

We both smiled and I asked "Ma...That you?" 

Bucky looked back at the headstones and said "Its an honor to meet you both. I just wish I could've meet you under different circumstances. Steve really loves you. And you love him. I just wanted to let you guys know you're not the only ones that do."

He glanced over at me and smiled. He said "Yeah. Although I don't think he knows it. But I'll look after him. Just like he's been doing for me. You have my word on that."

 

* * *

 

We sat for nearly an hour, talking to them and to each other. Then it started raining a little. That's when I decides it was time to go. But before we did, I unwrapped the flowers. A dozen red and white roses. What I do is I put three of each color against the headstones. 3 white and 3 red for both of them. 

After I took the dead ones off, I positioned them and stood back up. The dead ones in each hand. I smiled down at them and said "I'll see you guys soon. Be good, stay out of trouble."

Bucky picked the blanket up and we quickly made it back to the car before getting back inside. We chuckled at how wet we were. We weren't soaked, but we weren't bone dry either. 

He shivered and I asked "Cold?"

He nodded and said "A little, yeah." I pulled my jacket off and handed it to him. 

He smiled and said "Thanks." Before putting it on.

When I started the car up, I turned the heat on and waited. Then I turned to him and asked "You said you love me?" 

He smiled and asked "Did I?"

"Do you?"

He nodded and said "Yeah."

My heart fluttered. As much as I waited to hear it, I wasn't gonna force him to say it. But even though I'm happy to hear it, I needed to be sure.

"Are you sure?"

He gave me a look and sighed. I said "Now hold on, I don't wanna upset you, Buck. I don't want you to not talk to me for awhile like last time, okay? I just don't want to rush you."

"I know."

"Bucky...You've been treated horribly your whole life. You've almost never seen a shred of kindness, not once. You've never gotten to really experience what real love is like. Real love is amazing. It's all consuming, it's something that I truly want for you. But I just-"

"Steve, I'm not a child. I may not have any rights because of what I am...But I think I'm capable enough to know right from wrong and that I'm capable of wanting to love someone or not. I'm not stupid."

I said "I know you're not, I never said you were. But...After what happened with Brock-"

"You're not Brock, Steve. You're not him. I forgive him for what he did and what he didn't do. But you...You got no idea how good you are, do you?"

He smiled and said "You're almost blinding me right now, I can hardly look at you...You shine brighter than anyone I've ever met....Even brighter than the old couple I was with. And they were _bright_."

That's when I felt him reach over, and his metal hand touched my fleshy right one. He gently squeezed it and said "You're a beautiful person, Steve...I don't have to doubt myself with you, anymore. I doubted you in the beginning and a little when I didn't talk to you after you rejected me...But that's not happening anymore. You've proven that I am in fact _safe_ with you. And whether you like it or not, I care _a lot_ about you."

Even though he wouldn't feel it on this hand, I squeezed back. I smiled and said "I know...And I do to." He smiled and I said "Let's go home."


	21. Chapter 21

When we were a couple minutes away from the house, my phone went off. It was sitting in the console, and I asked Bucky if he could grab it and take a look. When he did he said "It's the security company...They said we've had a break in."

My eyes went wide and I looked at him. "What?"

He said "There's a message alert saying we've had a break in, our security system is going off right now."

Sure enough, we could hear a loud ringing getting louder and louder. I quickly pulled in the parking lot and that's when we saw some guy bolt out the door. I yelled "Stay here! Don't move!" And got out. 

I ran after him and before he could get off the lawn, 

I launched myself at him and tackled him to the ground. This guy wasn't big, he looked really scrawny. We struggled for a minute before I got him on his back. 

Turns out this was just a kid. He looked no older than 17. His eyes went wide and he said "Whoa man! Take it easy!" 

I grabbed him by his collar and yanked him up a little. I felt my face get hot and I asked "What the hell are you doing here?!"

He said "Look man, I'm sorry! They made me to do go in with them, I didn't want to!"

"Wait, we?"

"Yeah...Me, my cousin, and my brother. I think they're still in the house."

_Oh no._

"Bucky."

I quickly looked back and sure enough, there was one guy by the car with Bucky still inside. So I got up and the kid went to move but I shouted "STAY DOWN KID!" And he did. I ran over towards the guy just as he opened Bucky's door, grabbed him, and yanked him back. 

 _It's on_.

I pulled him down to the ground, got on top and started punching him in the face. This guy was in his late twenties, and he looked like a junkie.

I punched him a few times and he blocked most of them. He pushed me off a little, despite all the hits, and laughed like a hyena. "Easy there, big guy. I just wanted to say hi to the pretty kitty there."

I went and hit him again, and he asked "Where so you get those things? Do you fuck 'em? Cause I'd fuck him. I ain't even a fag, but I'd fuck that pretty thing you got."

Another hit. Blood was all over his mouth and his nose was bleeding. With all the hits he's taken, his face is gonna bruise and swell up like a bitch.

I went to hit him again, but then another guy came out and pulled me off. He hit me a couple times, but then he was pulled off me, and I saw Bucky clock him right in the jaw. With his left fist. After a couple hits, that guy was down. That's when the cops got here.

Bucky helped me up and I said "I had him on the ropes." 

He said "Yeah, I know."

I asked "You okay?"

He nodded and said "Yeah, I'm okay."

I quickly pulled him in a hug and he hugged back. I broke the hug and took his face into my banged up hands. I pressed our foreheads together and kissed his lips before hugging him again. 

A cop came up and asked "Everything alright, sir?"

I nodded said "Yeah...I took care of them, I don't think they took anything."

He nodded and said "We'll be sure to check them and give back anything they might have taken."

I nodded and said "Thank you."

"Would you like to press charges?"

I said "For the youngest one...No, he got pressured into it. And he didn't attack us. But the other two, yes."

"Alright. Good, you're actually doing us a favor. We've been onto those two for awhile. Do you need to go to a hospital?" Signaling to my brusing hands.

I shook my head and said "No sir...I think I'll be alright."

He nodded and said "Okay. We're doing a quick sweep of the house for any damages."

After a few minutes he came back, and said "Well, the only damahe  done was a broken window and this picture frame." 

He held it out to me and I saw it was a picture of me with Ma. It was the day I graduated high school. We were hugging each other tight, smiling big. We had been crying before picture was taken. My aunt Daisy took the picture. Peggy was busy taking pictures with her family, which I didn't mind.

This was one of my favorite pictures with her. Besides another picture that got taken for Christmas, and we were wearing God awful Christmas sweaters.

Bucky looked down at it, and I felt him gently wrap his arms around my neck from behind, and rested his head against mine. I then looked back up at the officer and said "Thank you, Sir."

He nodded and gave a strange look, before walking off. After they got the guys and left, we went inside, and that's when we were met by Dodger. He was whining ans jumping around, attacking us. I gently sat the picture back down where it was, and squatted down to Dodger's level. 

"Hey buddy...You okay? Did you hide under the bed? It's okay buddy...You're my precious little coward." I pet him and gave him kisses, and Bucky did the same. Yeah, Dodger's a bit of a coward. 

That's when Bucky asked "Is that Sarah?" 

I looked back over at the picture and smiled. "Yeah. That's her."

Bucky nodded and said "She's beautiful."

My smile grew and I asked "You sure you're okay, Buck?"

I stood back up and he said "Yeah, I'm sure. You should be more worried about yourself. Look at your hands. C'mon, we need to get some ice on them."

I nodded and we went into the kitchen. He went over and opened the freezer, before pulling out a bag of frozen peas. He handed them to me and I gently pressed it against my left hand. I winced a little before leaning against the fridge. 

After a few minutes, I switched and put the bag on my right hand before saying "After this, I'll board up that window until I can get a guy to get it fixed."

He nodded and said "Well in the mean time, take it easy there, Bruce Lee."

We both chuckled and said "Hey now, Bruce Lee is awesome."

"Well still. I don't think you need two broken hands, do you?"

I smiled and said "Not really, no."

He smiled and said "Good...I just wish I could've helped you more with that one guy...Then your hands wouldn't look like this..."

I said "You did plenty, Buck. Although I didn't want you to get out of the car and KO that guy, you did great...Plus the way it looked when you knocked him out, oh man I wished I videotaped it!"

We laughed and he said "Alright, let's get that window taken care of."

 

* * *

 

After we got the window covered up, we went into the living room. We sat down on the couch and watched some TV. Dodger stayed right beside us the whole time, and wouldn't move unless he had too. My poor little coward. 

Bucky was curled up against me and I hand my arm around him. His head was gently pressed against mine and his hand was over my heart. After some silence, he said "You kissed me."

I smiled and asked "Did I?"

"You did. Did you want to?"

"I did."

"Would you like to do it again?"

"Of course. Do you want me to?"

"Most definitely."

I smiled and looked over at him. We leaned in until our lips met, and we smiled. I gently rested my hand around he back of his neck, and held him there. We sat there and kissed for a few minutes, until Dodger moved and got in between us.

We laughed and Bucky said "Dodger...You jealous furball."

I smiled and said "He wants to give us kisses but his are all slobbery. Aren't they boy?" We pet him and gave him kisses, getting some from him in return. 

I got up and asked "You hungry?" He nodded and said "Well then, I'll get some lunch started. You can come with, or stay here and get drooled on by him."

He chuckled and said "Yeah, I'll come with you." And followed me to the kitchen. But as soon as we got there, he turned me around, and I was gently pushed up against the fridge. 

He smiled and said "Figured we could pick up where we left off...If you wanted to." 

I smiled and asked "Do you want to?"

"Yes. Do you?"

"Most definitely."


	22. Chapter 22

If you're asking what happened after that, we didn't do any funny business. We did however stand for a while and kissed. At some points it was getting a little heated, but I would slow it back to normal. He didn't mind. 

I feel like I'm back in high school again. I haven't been this happy about kissing someone, since the first time I kissed Peggy. And man, that was a crazy ride. I was so nervous the day that happened. 

It was after our 7th or 8th date together, before I kissed her. I know I could've done it by the 3rd date, which usually happens for most people. But I was afraid of making her uncomfortable if I did that. I was sweating, shaking, stuttering, it felt like I had a thousand guns aimed right at me.

Hell, I even felt like I might've thrown up. But after I took her home, I finally did it. And as sad as it probably sounds, she was the first person I ever kissed. I was 16, and never kissed anyone. Yeah, sad. 

The girls didn't really like me, because I was smaller and more frail then. But Peggy, she saw something different with me. And she's a tough gal, she scares me sometimes with how tough she is. She doesn't let anyone push her around, I witnessed her punch a guy square in the face for harassing her about the size or her breasts. It was the best thing I ever saw.

But with Bucky, it felt like that. And it made me really happy. Sure, I miss Peggy sometimes. She was a great girl, and I felt bad for pushing her away when Ma died. But she's happily married now and has an adorable little girl. I was there with her during her pregnancy, and when she went into labor. She wanted me to still be apart of her life. Her daughter calls me Uncle Steve. 

But I'm really happy that Bucky trusts me. And that he feels safe with me and wants to kiss me. Maybe even build a life with me. I'd really like that. Do I consider him mine now? Sure, if that's what he wanted. Only if that's what he wanted. 

You wouldn't just go around telling people you're in a relationship with someone when that person doesn't want that, right? Cause that's not okay and it's downright uncomfortable. But if Bucky didn't want that, then I'd respect that. I really don't wanna ruin what we have and what we could build. Which is why we need to take baby steps.

A couple weeks after the break in, I was on edge. I could see Bucky was too. Any little noise during the day or night, we always checked it out. I spent a few days at home after it happened, because I feared leaving Bucky alone. I know he can handle himself, but that doesn't mean I want him to handle things alone. I just called in sick and I got a few days off. 

When I had to go back to work, I would call home and check in on Bucky every couple hours. I'm sure he's annoyed by it now, but I just wanna know he's okay. Stuff like that means you care, unless you go way overboard with it. I wanna look out for him and take care of him, not smother him.

 

* * *

 

Lately, he's been a little off. I started noticing it with his behavior. Figetting while sitting down, constantly tapping his feet or his hands, messing with his clothes, his hair, his tail, constantly shifting around while we were in bed. And he seems really on edge, hyperaware, I have to be careful moving around him now or I'll scare him. I'm sure it's just some phase, but I don't really understand the phases a Neko would go through. 

I've also noticed when he talks, he sometimes stutters, when we kiss, he tries putting more force into it or turn it into something greater, but I would kindly remind him what he was doing, and he'd apologize. The two things I see most often now is he wakes up sweating, and his eyes are different. Like the color is darkened, and his pupils are dialiated.

Maybe I should talk to Doctor Banner, he could help. 

 

* * *

 

One night while we were sleeping, I could feel Bucky moving next to me. He was moving enough to where it woke me up. I turned and looked over at him, and he was covered with sweat. 

I think I startled him, cause when I got closer, he jumped. His eyes opened and I said "Whoa, whoa, easy Bucky. I didn't mean to scare you." I turned the lamp on the nightstand on, and looked back at him. He looked confused and looked around the room without moving his head. "What happened?"

I said "You were moving, I thought you were having a nightmare. You okay?"

He said "I'm not...I'm not sure...I wasn't having a nightmare...I think something's seriously wrong with me...What time is it?"

I turned and grabbed my phone off the nightstand, before checking. "Just after 3."

He groaned and I asked "Do you want me to call Doctor Banner? Maybe he could help."

He nodded and asked "Can you call him later? I don't wanna wake him up."

I nodded and said "Okay. You wanna go back to sleep?"

He shrugged and said "I don't know if I can...Can you give me a bath? We haven't done that in awhile. It might calm me down."

I smiled and said "Sure Buck. No problem." I leaned down and kissed his sweaty forehead, before helping him out of bed. I'm just hoping he's okay, cause this phase is really making me worried.


	23. Chapter 23

While I was giving him his bath, he said "Sorry for waking you up.."

I was gently working shampoo into his hair and I said "Don't be sorry, I'm jot mad."

He sighed and said "I just wish I knew what was wrong with me...This isn't the first time it's happened..."

I raised an eyebrow and said "You've gone through this before?" 

He nodded and said "A few times...But it's been awhile since the last one happened. I think it's just some flu thing or something that I get and it just comes and goes when it wants. It doesn't happen often, and it comes at random. Maybe that's it."

I nodded and said "We'll get this figured out, Buck. Don't worry."

He nodded and continued on mostly in silence. 

 

* * *

 

After we finished the bath, we went into the living room and watched some TV. I wasn't really tired, and we got stuck with watching infomercials. The current one being some weight loss program. It actually looks kinda fun. 

He was curled against me, and I was hsing him. I just hope whatever he's going through, isn't something serious. I don't like the idea of him being sick. Soon we both ended up falling asleep on the couch, and didn't wake up until almost 9.

When we did wake up, I texted Natasha and asked if she had Bruce's number. When she sent it too me, I dialed it. Four rings later, he picked up.

"Hello?"

I said "Hi Doctor Banner, this is Steve Rogers. I uh, I adopted Bucky?"

"Yes, I remember. It's nice to hear from you Steve, how are you? How's Bucky?"

"We're good, he's good. But um, I think he might be sick, so I decided to call you and see if you can figure out what's going on." Since I'm certain no normal hospital would treat a Neko.

"I see. Well, what kind of symptoms is he showing?"

I told him everything, his behavior, the sweating, and that Bucky told me himself that he's experienced it before. 

"So do you think you know what's going on? Cause it's honestly starting to freak me out, I'm getting really worried."

"Hmm...I think I know what's wrong...This is a little awkward, and I don't really know how to put it to you, Steve....But from what you told me, it sounds like Bucky is in heat." 

In heat?

Oh. In  _heat_.

"Wait, what?"

Bucky walked back in from using the bathroom, and sat down next to me. I asked "Can you hang on for a second, Bruce?"

"Sure, go ahead."

I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at Bucky. "Doctor Banner thinks you're in heat."

His face twisted in confusion and asked "What?"

I brought the phone back and said "Alright Bruce, I'm gonna put you on speaker."

When I did, I said "Alright, go ahead."

Bucky scooted closer to me so he could hear. 

"Look, I know this sounds really strange and embarrassing, I'm a little embarrassed about it myself. Even as a Doctor. But what you've told me, sounds like he could be in heat. Which is not exactly a bad thing."

I asked "I thought only animals went into heat?"

"Well they do, every female animal on the planet goes into heat, animals have mating seasons, but Nekos are different. Humans don't go into heat, and they have zero need for mating seasons. But since their genetic makeup is a complex subject, their DNA matrix is different Not only could female Nekos go into heat, a male can do so as well.

Since the human and feline DNA were mixed together, their physical anatomy is confusing. It's not just the tail and the ears, or the behavior. Behavior outweighs the physicality, but their internal structures are different as well. So a male Neko going into heat , doesn't sound so impossible or crazy."

I remember learning about animal reproduction in Biology, but I was still confused "But doesn't heat usually happen once a month or something?"

"Normally, yes. Even for most female and male Nekos I've treated while during their heating period. But being that Bucky said this comes sometimes at random or doesn't have a normal occurance, his hormones are mos likely, highly unbalanced. Bucky, can you remember the last time you went through heat?"

He thought for a second and said "Yeah, um...Back before the abuse with my previous owners happened. That was almost 4 years ago.

So the last time he went through it, must have been when he was sleeping with Brock.

"Wow. Your hormones are extremely unbalanced, this should be happening at least once a month. Two months at the most."

I grabbed Bucky's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, and asked "What could be causing them to be so far off?"

He squeezed back and Bruce said "Lots of things cause cause hormonal imbalance. Humans, animals, and Nekos alike. A big contributor being stress. And with Bucky going through great amounts of stress from his abuse, that could've set it off. Thrown the scale off balance. Major stress or anxiety, emotions, adjusting to new surroundings, falling in love, sexual intimacy, anything can either balance hormones or throw them off track."

"So what do you suggest we do to help sort things out?"

"Honestly the only major solution I can offer you, is that Bucky needs to have sex."

I nearly choked on air hearing that, and started having a coughing fit. After I could finally stop and breath, I asked "I'm sorry, what?"

"I know, again, this is embarrassing on my end too. But if Bucky has gone this long without any intimacy that hasn't caused him this much stress, then it's not healthy. He needs to have physical intimacy with a good partner, so his hormones can balance. Sex is a necessity with every life form on the planet. It's not as important as air, food, water, or shelter, but it's an important necessity to keep us healthy."

"So the only way I could help him is if I sleep with him?'

"Not necessarily you, but it could either be you or someone you can trust with caring for Bucky like that."

_Yeah, I don't think I'd like to recommended him to someone else._

I sighed and said "Alright, well...Thank you, Bruce."

"No problem. I don't mean to cause trouble. I don't know how long this could last, but I don't think you guys should just try to sit it out. Pardon my language, but for the sake of Bucky's health, he needs to get laid."

I chuckled and said "Alright. Thank you, Bruce."

"Any time. Call me if anything changes, if not, come see me at the shelter."

"Alright. Have a good day. Bye."

I hung up and set my phone down, before sighing. I sat back and rubbed my fave with my hands. I chuckled and said "Well doctors orders are, you need to get laid."

He chuckled and said "Yeah, I heard...So what do we do now?"

Honestly, the idea of Bucky needing to have sex, makes me a little uneasy. Even if it was with me. I can't force him to do that, we haven't had enough time to really lead up to that. Now Bruce is saying he needs to have sex as if he'll die without it.

I looked over at him and said "Well one things for sure, I'm not gonna out trust in anyone else to do that with you. Nor would I throw you at someone else and have them do that." If I did that, he will never trust me again. Cause here I am, building a better life for him up and tearing the wall he's build down. And right when he's happy again and can trust or fall in love with someonw again, just throw him at someone else and say 'here, have sex with him.' He'd never trust me again. And I'm not prepared to lose him. 

It has to be me. I have to do that for him and be there for him during this. And I think he wants me to be the one for that. And I want to do this for him, if he really wants me to.

 


	24. Chapter 24

"Steve?" 

I looked back at him and he asked "So what do we do then? If you can't trust anyone else to have me?"

I almost gave him my _'really?'_ Look, but I don't wanna give him that look. Not with something as serious as this.

I just sighed and said "Well Buck....Why don't you tell me what you think? What do you think we should do?" 

"Well...I think there should be something done to help me get through this mess...And if Doctor Banner thinks I should do... _That_ , with you then...We should do that..."

"Are you wanting to sleep with me cause he said you should? Or do you actually want to, cause _you_ want to? I don't wanna do _anything_ unless _you really_ want me to do it." 

I turned more to get a better look at him and said "If you wanna do that with me, you look me in the eye and mean it wen you say it. I won't do it if you're doubting yourself or if you doubt me, or if you want to at first, then change your mind. I'll do it if you know that's what you want in your heart.

Forget what you're mind is telling you, take that out of it. But if you feel it in your heart and that's what your heart is telling you, then you tell me, and I'll do that for you. I don't want you to be afraid of it, of me, I don't care if I say this over and over until it annoys the hell out of you. I'm saying this because I care a lot about you. And I don't wamma do anything that you are not comfortable with. Okay?"

He nodded and I said "Okay. Now tell me...Is this what you really want me to do?" 

He nodded again and said "Yes."

"Are you sure? Are you absolutely positive?"

"I am."

"And if you change your mind and don't want to, will you tell me? It would never be too late to tell me."

He nodded again and said "I will. I promise." 

I nodded and he asked "Is it my turn to ask questions now?"

I smiled and said "Go ahead."

"Do you wanna sleep with me just cause my health depends on it? Just because he said we should?" 

"Your health is a big concern for me, yes. Do I want you to be healthy and happy? Of course I do. Am I doing it just because he said it had to be done? No, not at all. I know this is kind of awkward, and I'm afraid of making thingsever worse, but I wanna do this. I really wanna do this, for you. If this is the only way to help you, then I'd like to do it."

He nodded and I wanna clear things up as much as I can so he doesn't take it the wrong way. But sadly, I'm not good with wording things. "Bucky, I know we haven't had enough time to really get to know each other like this, and I feel really bad because this would he rushing things, and I would've loved to wait for a better time.

But this mess you're going through right now, the stress, all of it, you're suffering because of it. And I can't just sit here and watch you like this. It's not right. I don't want you to suffer. If this, if sleeping with you means that this suffering mess could stop, then I'd love nothing more than to get you to a better place. To make you happier. Do you understand? Sorry, I am not good with wording things at all."

He smiled and said "It's okay. And I understand...Thank you."

I smiled and said "No problem...Do you need a few minutes?"

He nodded and said "Yeah...Can...Can I have a hug?"

I smiled and said "Of course, Buck."

I stood up and he stood up too, before I pulled him into a hug. A real hug. I hugged him tigh, but not tight enough to hurt him. He hugged me back just the same and we just stood there. It was dead silent besides the sounds of our shaky breathing. I was terrified.

Honest to God, Peggy was the first and only person I've kissed, touched, and loved that way, before Bucky. Again, totally sad, I know. But I don't sleep around, I'm huge romantic. A very sappy kind. Peggy thought it was adorable with me, and still does. But she's married and her husbands a good man. 

And I wanna be that sappy romantic for Bucky. He's hardly seen kindness. He's almost never seen or felt what it meants to be loved. He was loved by that older couple, but they're gone. He was falling in love with Brock and Brock was falling for him, but he messed up. Instead of standing up to his uncle and protecting Bucky, his cowardice almost cost Bucky his life. 

Now I have the chance to change everything for him. I have the chance to make him so happy and give him everything I have, _I have this chance_. And I do not wanna screw it up. Bucky is a kind and beautiful _human being._

To me he is not a lab rat, or an experiment, or a mistake. He's a human being, who just happens to be apart of a rare and unique community of people just like him. I want to give him so much. I can't give him the world, but being apart of his world, that's all that matters to me. 

Honestly, I'm pretty terrified of this right now. What we're so close to doing. But if it's what he really wants, which he says it is so I believe him, then it'll be okay. I'm just hoping things get nothing but better once it happens. I don't wanna put distance between us, I don't wanna scare him away and lose him. I don't want what happened with me and Peggy to happen.

We stood there for a long time, just hugging each other tight. He gently rubbed my back and I did the same for him. I felt his lips neary ear and he said "Whatever happens...I promise you, you won't scare me away. Whatever happens, I won't leave you alone. I promise." 

He kissed under my ear and squeezed me tight, and I wanted to cry from that. I buried my face into his neck and said "And I'll never leave you alone. You'll never be hurt again as long as you have me. I'll always keep you safe, trust me."

"I do. I trust you."

I smiled against his skin and said "Good...Do you want a few more minutes?"

We luaghed and he said "No, it's okay. I'm ready." 

I nodded and said "Okay. You sure? I don't mind...I think I need it just as bad, too."

He smiled and asked "You want a few more minutes?" 

I modded and said "Yeah...Just one minute. Just one."

He nodded and I took his face into my hands. I smiled and said "Just give me a minute to look at this beautiful face."

He smiled and said "Speak for yourself, Roger's." Before we pressed our foreheads together. We stayed that way, just looking at each other. We didn't love, we didn't kiss, but we were close enough to. Then I finally leaned in and did. He quickly kissed me back and after a moment or so, we pulled away and he smiled.

"Take me to bed, Steven."

I smiled and asked "How would you like to reach your destination? Walking or quick express?"

He smiled and rolled his eyes. "Quick express, Dork."

My smile grew and I said "Alright. You askes for it. You better hang on my feline traveler."

That's when I picked him up bridal style, and carefully made our way upstairs. I almost tripped a couple times, and we were laughing like crackhead hyenas. Which was good, cause it took some of the edge off. I was nearly shaking before this. And we laughed almost all the way there.

Here we go.

 

* * *

 

_**Hi! Sorry for the cling hanger, but I want to say sorry in advance if the next chapter or so ends up sucking horribly, because I hate writing any sex stuff or smut, I just get really awkward and embarrassed with it :x.** _

_**But! I'm really happy to be writing again, so I'll suck it up, grow a pair, and continue on with it! Alright, thanks guys! :) <3** _

 


	25. Chapter 25

The sight before me feels like it should only be reserved for God himself.

Because what my eyes are witnessing, is too beautiful to comprehend. 

Looking into Bucky's eyes while they were darkened, his pupils almost consuming the color. Watching them flutter open and closed. His gorgeous lips parted, quivering. Small gasps and moans falling from them.

His cheeks were red. Well, more of a slight shade of pink. But it looked beautiful on him. I first saw it when we got in the room. The next time was when we were both completely naked and exposed to each other. And I see it now as I'm above him, his arms and long legs wrapped around me as I've just invaded his body.

The moment I did so, he held onto me for dear life. I pressed my forehead against his, and reassured him I was here. This is nothing I've ever dreamed of doing. Being with a man, much less a _unique_ man. I thought I'd be with Peggy forever.

But here I am. Making love to the most beautiful creature in the whole world. It's a little scary. And he knew I was just as scared as he was. After we had taken our last bit of clothes off, we were on the bed. We kissed each other and this time, I didn't politely stop him. But soon he put his hand on my chest and stopped me. 

I reassured him that it was okay of he wanted to back out now. He just said "Just...Give me a minute..." A minute actually turned into a few minutes. Which was fine. But then he said "Alright, I'm good. I'm okay." And here we are.

The minute I went in, I was surrounded by just growing heat. It sent chills down my spine, but I had to focus. I was being gentle with him. One, because gentleness is what he needs and deserves. And two, despite my sad amount of sexual partners, this is the first time I've ever done this with a man.

Bucky insisted that we didn't need protection, he's sure he doesn't have anything, but I told him that I wanted it. He pouted, but then agreed. I wanted to be a gentleman about it, so it's gonna happen. 

I was getting self conscious about if I was doing this right, or if I was going too slow. I didn't wanna hurt him. I guess he could see it on my face, because he just smiled big and said "Stop thinking, Steve."

I chuckled and said "Sorry...I can't help it." 

His smile grew and said "It's okay...You're doing great."

I nodded and that helped me relax a little. "Am I going too slow?"

He shook his head and said "Not.... _Ohh_..Not really..."

"Want me to go faster?"

He bit his bottom lip and nodded. "Yeah...A little."

I nodded and smiled. I took a deep breath and let it out, and slowly started picking up my pace. I didn't pick it up too quickly, but it was definitely more than what I was doing. Still taking care not to hurt him. 

We both moaned and he wrapped his arms and legs tighter around me. The minutes dragging by felt like hours. Not that it was a bad thing, this would probably be the situation I'd accept that. Anything else, I'd probably be bang my head against the wall.

 _God_ , this was amazing. This can't get anymore perfect.  _He's_  so perfect. Him and all the sounds he's making. And it makes it so much better knowing I'm what's causing him to make them. Not to sound cocky, but it's great. It's great knowing he has someone good in his life. Someone who loves him and would love to make his life better. I'm so thankful I saw those flyers that day. And that I was smart enough to go there.

I snapped out of my head and focused back on him. I smiled. _There he is_. My Bucky. I leaned down and kissed him, and he kissed me back. Two souls and bodies joined together. Two against the world, at peace.

 _In Heaven_.

 

* * *

 

We laid there in silence for a long time. It wasn't bad, it was a peaceful silence. Sunlight peeked in through the blinds, being the only light in the room. The day almost at it's peak. I laid there just staring down at him. 

He was curled up against me, with his head resting on my chest. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't sleeping. His hand was next to his face, and his breathing was calm. I held him against me and smiled. And when I started playing with his hair and gently petting and scratching his ears, he smiled too.

He nuzzled his head against me and moved to place a soft kiss at the center of my chest. Then he moved his head to where he could look up at me, and smiled. 

"Your heartbeat could put me to sleep. It's so calming."

I smiled and asked "Oh really?"

He nodded and said "Yeah...I might just have to start sleeping like this with you at night. Its takes me forever sometimes to fall asleep."

I said "I hope so."

He smiled again and then said "That was....Wow."

We chuckled and I asked "Uh, is that a good thing or...?"

He rolled his eyes and sarcastically said "No Steve, it's an awful thing. You're terrible in bed, get more practice." 

I raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Oh is that so?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yes."

I nodded and said "I see...Well maybe I can get some much needed practice put in, now that I have you, gorgeous." 

I kissed the top of his head and he giggled. He said "Ohhh, that was clever."

I laughed and said "Well, I can be very clever." 

He smiled and scooted up more until his head was on my shoulder, and his face a couple inches from mine. He rested his hand on my cheek and pulled me in for a kiss. We kissed a few times before he pulled away. He pressed his forehead against mine and said "You know, I wasn't kidding. Back at the cemetery. When I said you were changing me."

I smiled and said "I know." I kissed him this time and said "And you were right. When you said you were changing me."

We both smiled and I said "I love you."

I could see his eyes tear up and his smile went to it's max. "I love you, too."

_Still in Heaven._

 

* * *

 

_**Helloooo, sorry about that, I meant to write this chapter yesterday. But after work, I managed to convince my mom to watch Sherlock with me, and I got caught up in it. I can't wait to see season 4!! I need it :(.** _

_**Again, I'm terribly sorry if this chapter sucks, I was hoping it would come out better, but my mind palace doesn't like to work with me sometimes...And right now, it feels like a mind shack. But I will be posting more today! So I hope you enjoy the ride! :) <3.** _


	26. Chapter 26

The next day when I went back into work, I couldn't stop smiling. As much as I just wanted to stay home forever and be with Bucky, I'd like to keep him fed and the roof over his head. 

We had a meeting concerning our current project, and Tony and I almost fell asleep during it. Boring. 

After the meeting, I went back to smiling and he said "Okay, you're really starting to scare me man, quit that." I couldn't help it. And it's not like I was about to go and tell Tony I slept with Bucky. That's none of his buisiness.

Then while we were talking in my office, our friend James came in. Everyone just knows him as Rhodey. He said "Hye guys. C'mon, Alex needs to see you guys."

I asked "What's going on?"

He smiled and said "He's gonna announce his new partner. C'mon!" We got up and followed him to the main conference hall. Big enough for the whole building to fit in. We mainly use it for conventions, big presentations, and parties. Which by the look of all the decorations put up, a party was gonna happen.

People moved out of the way when they saw us, until we were in the center of the circle with Alexander. He handed us each a glass of champagne, before grabbing one for himself.

He smiled and said "Thank you for coming, everyone. I've waited so long for this day. And now its finally here. Now don't be discouraged by my choices for this thing. You're all equally wonderful wonderful people to work with. And I wish I cod make all of you partners, but they won't let me. But I've thought long and hard for this moment. And I stand firm with my decision."

He turned to us and said "Steve, Tony. You are two of the smartest young men I've come to known. When you two work together, beautiful things are born. Even if you're working apart. Steve, you have a lot of heart. You're a smart man, and good man, and you've worked hard for what you have. Tony, you remind me so much of your father. Brilliant, competetive, and you stand your ground...A tad narcissistic, but I can see you mean well."

Everyone laughed, and I gave Tony a pat on the shoulder. Alex smiled and said "Oh, how I wish I could have you both. Together we could make so many beautiful things, as we have. But unfortunately, I have made up my mind...Everyone. Let's raise our glasses to congratulate my new partner.."

We all did and after a brief moment of silence, he said "Tony Stark."

That was a wake up call. Everyone looked around surprised, and that kinda hurt. Tony's a good man, yeah he's a text book narcissist, but he's not a bad person. He's my friend. Tony and I looked at each other, and he looked so confused. 

That's when he looked at Alex and asked "Wait, what?" 

He said "You're my partner, Tony. Is there a problem?"

Tony was still confused, and then he looked at me. He pointed at me and asked "What about Steve?"

He shrugged and asked "What about him?"

Bastard. He only picked Tony cause he knows I have Bucky. But I kept my cool, because Tony deserves this. 

Tony stepped forward and said "If you knew us at all, you'd know that this kid is the best thing that could happen to the future of this company. Not me, And everyone knows that!"

Alexander said "Well, I see differently. Steven is a good choice, yes. But I saw you as the better one. Aren't you happy? To almost be ruling your father and I's company?"

Tony opened his mouth to say something else, but I stepped forward and put my hand on his shoulder.  He looked over at me and I out a smile on for him. "Tony, relax. Be happy, you deserve this man! Don't worry about me, let's just celebrate!"

He gave me that worried look that I haven't seen in a long time, but nodded. He said "Okay." He just nodded and looked at the ground. Then he looked up and raised his glass. "Let's party!" And everyone cheered. 

 

* * *

 

While the party was going on, I stepped outside the room to check on Bucky. I called and told him what happened.

"That bastard!! How could he do that to you, you deserved this promotion!" 

"I know Buck, but I'm not worried about it. Tony's a better fit."

"You're heart could kill you some day, you know that?"

I smiled and said "Yeah, I guess so."

"I'm really sorry, Steve...I wish I could be there."

"With him around? I don't think so. But thank you, Buck. Everything okay over there?"

"Yep, as usual. Dodgers passed out next to me, and I'm watching some crime show. It's pretty good, I like it."

I smiled and asked "Really? Which one?"

"Law & Order. It's really good, and I like their Special Victims Unit thing too."

"Yeah, they're good. I'm a sucker for crime shows."

He chuckled and said "Well I blame you then, cause now so am I."

"Well I'll be home in a couple hours. Be careful, okay?" 

"Always, Stevie."

I smiled and said "Good. I love you."

"I love you too. Bye." And we hung up.

I turned to go back in, and nearly ran into Alex. I stopped and he said "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you...Just wondering where you ran off to."

I nodded and said "No, you're okay." 

He nodded and I said "Tony's gonma do great...You made a good choice."

He nodded and said "Yeah, I'm hoping so...It's a shame, really...I was so looking forward to have you."

I clenched my fist and went along with it. Maybe he still doesn't know what I know. "Then why pick Tony, if you wanted to pick me so bad?"

He chuckled and said "Cause you have a pest living with you in your house."

Keep calm. Breathe.

He stepped closer and said "You turn my own nephew against me. He thinks he can keep things from me, but I see right through him...It's a shame really...What I had to do."

I felt a lump form in my throat and I asked "And what did you do?"

He said "I took care of it. When you have a pest in your life, you have to get rid of it. Unlike you."

"So you killed him? Your own family?"

"He was never family to me. He was the bastard son my sister never got rid of. But I was the only family he had left. I tried to teach him well, but sentiment...Love...Major human error. Makes the strong go weak."

"I don't believe you."

He smiled and asked "That so? Well then, let me show you." He pulled his phone out of his pocket, and after a minute or so, he stopped and said "Ah, there we go. Take a look."

He turned his phone and that's when I saw a picture of Brock tied to a chair. He was slumped down, his face beaten badly. He said "Man, could that kid handle pain...Took a lot of hits before he finally kicked the bucket. Made a mess."

Then he swiped his finger left, and there was another picture of his body. He was wrapped up in plastic and said "Friend of mine specializes in cremations. Can't just thow it in a ditch somewhere. Very sloppy."

I instantly felt sick and he just smiled at me. Bucky was right, he's just evil. I asked "Why are you doing this? What did he do to you?"

He said "I always saw him as a pest. I only wanted to get him when his guard was down. Then I found out him and Brock were fucking, and I knew...Oh, I knew I was gonna have so much fun with him."

He moved in closer and said "I'm gonna take everything from you. I'm gonna burn everything until you have nothing left at all. And when I get my hands on your precious little Bucky...I'll make sure he gets taken care of."

In my mind, I snapped. I wanted to beat him until he was taken care of, but I had to stay calm. Maybe Bucky is right, maybe we should get out of here. I can't let Alexander get his hands on him, I can't.


	27. Chapter 27

I couldn't get home quick enough. The minute I was through the door, I slammed it shut behind me. "Bucky!"

He walked out of the kitchen and said "Hey. You're home early, I thought you were-"

"Brock's dead." 

He stopped dead in his tracks and looked at me like I just punched him in the stomach. His eyes teared up and he asked "What?"

I said "Alexander killed him. Or had him killed, he showed me _pictures_ of his body. He said he had a friend of his cremate the body."

His jaw dropped and I saw a tear roll down his cheek. "Oh...Oh my God...No, no, no!" And started crying.

I could understand why he was so upset. Brock was his first love. Despite everything, Brock will have always been his first love. 

I pulled him in for a hug, and he hugged back tight. I kissed the top of his head and he said "I was...I was so cold to him when he was here. He felt so bad about it, and I was so cold.."

"He wouldn't be mad at you, Buck. He loved you."

"I know...I just wish I could say I'm sorry."

I rubbbed his back and said "I know."

I held him there for a few minutes, and I said "We gotta get out of here. Brock was the only one who could warn us about him, we have to go."

He broke the hug and asked "What? I thought you said we weren't going anywhere?"

I said "I did, but now that Brock's gone, we have no source of warning. We have to go somewhere and lay low for awhile, okay? Just until Alexander is dead. You, me, and Dodger, we find somewhere and we go. Okay?"

He nodded and said "Okay."

I grabbed his face and kissed his forehead a few times and he asked "Do you have anywhere in mind?"

I nodded and said "Yeah. I'm gonna call Natasha. Alexander doesn't know her, so we could he safe with her. I'll call her real quick, and then we go pack."

He nodded and I pulled my phone out. I dialed her number and after a couple rings, she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Natasha, it's Steve."

"Hey! How's it going?!"

I said "Fine, look um...I hate to ask you this, but...Do you think we could stay with you for awhile?"

"May I ask why?"

I said "Bucky's previous owner...He's my boss, and he knows Bucky's alive, and he knows that Bucky told me everything. He killed his nephew who was in on it, but warned us about him. He's dead now, and he won't stop now until he buries us."

"The fuck he will. Leave your car, pack whatever you can, I'll be over in an hour."

I smiled and said "Okay. Thank you."

"Any time. See ya. Bye." And she hung up.

I turned to Bucky and said "She'll be here in an hour. C'mon."

 

* * *

 

An hour later, we had a few bags packed. Then there was a knock on the door. I went and answered it, and Natasha was standing there. She quickly hugged me and said "Hey. Ready?"

I nodded and said "Yeah."

She saw Bucky behind me and I moved so she could walk in. Bucky was close to crying again, and she said "Oh hun...Come here." And hugged him he hugged her back and said "I'll take care of you guys. I promise. C'mon."

She helped us get our stuff in her car, and she said it was okay for Dodger to come. Then I locked everything up and we got in her car. Dodger sat with Natasha up front, while Bucky and I took the back. Dodger already loves her.

Then we were off. Bucky was up against me, and I held him while he cried. I hugged him tight and told him it's okay. I told him we'd kill the bastard, and that I wouldn't let anything hurt him. 

Soon I asked "Where do you live?"

She said "Couple hours out of town. I like the privacy. It'll be safe." We nodded and I just hoped she was right.

 

* * *

 

A couple hours later, she said "We're here...I was at the shelter when you called. He shouldn't be able to find you here. And if he does, he'll be in for one hell of a ride."

She lived on a farm, and it looked pretty secluded. There was a big farmhouse she was pulling up to. When she stopped, we got out and took our stuff inside. 

When we walked in, we were met with a surprise. I raised an eyebrow asked "Doctor Banner?" He was sitting in the living room, reading a book. He looked up and pushed his glasses up high on this nose.

He smiled and said "Hello Steve. Bucky."

I looked at him and then at her, then asked "Are um...Are you two-"

"No." They both said at the same time. Bruce said "We're roommates. Natasha needed help keeping her farm, and I've been living with her for over five years."

We nodded and Natasha said "And I don't like too much silence. Droves me nuts." Bruce said "Me as well."

We nodded again and he said "She's informed me of your situation. We'll be sure you stay safe."

I smiled and said "Thank you."

Natasha said "Here, I'll show you guys to your room." And we followed her upstairs. She opened the door to a room and said "Here you go. Bathrooms attached, you got a walk in closet, and we have cable and internet. Don't let the scenery fool you."

We nodded and I said "Thank you...Thank you so much, we don't know how we could possibly repay you." She smiled and said "No need. Just stay safe, alright?" 

I said "We will."

She smiled and Gabe us each a hug and said "Well, I gotta head back to the shelter. Won't be home till later, help yourselves to anything. Be good."

"Yes ma'am." And she walked out.

I sat down on the egde of the bed and sighed. Then I laid back on the soft mattress, and rubbed my face with my hands. 

"This is a nightmare."

Bucky said "You're telling me." 

I then looked over at him and knew what was coming. So I sat up and scooted over to him and softly said "Hey." I wrapped my arm around him and kissed his temple.

"We'll be safe...I'll keep you safe."

He nodded and said "I know."

I pulled him closer and kissed the top of his head. "Good." 

 


	28. Chapter 28

I panted as I kept moving, running back towards the farm. I've been running for almost an hour, and I'm ready for a hot shower. As soon as I reached the driveway, I stopped. I hunched over and rested my hands on my knees, my heart thumping against my chest.

While I ran, I thought about all that I wanted to do to him. How I wanted to take my time with killing him. He said he wanted to take everything from me, and I'll make him wish he never met me. 

The walk down to the house lasted for a few minutes, but at least I got the chance to breathe right again. When I got inside, I went into the kitchen. Bruce was sitting down, reading a newspaper. I smiled and said "Morning."

He looked up then looked back down and said "Good morning. Are you gonna make it?" Talking about my panting. 

I smiled and said "I think so." 

"Do you breathe while you're exercising?"

I nodded and said "Yeah, of course...Well, I used to have asthma."

He nodded and asked "How did it go away?"

I shrugged and said "Beats me. But sometimes I have trouble breathing. Haven't had an asthma attack in years."

"That's good."

I nodded and asked "Where's Bucky?" 

He said "Upstairs, I think. He's probably still sleeping." 

I said "Okay. Thanks."

"No problem"

That's when I walked out and went upstairs. Sure enough when I got to our room, Bucky was lying in bed. He was curled up, and almost completely under the covers. 

I'm guessing our fun afternoon together has helped some. Bucky's sweating less, and he's not so fidgety. But I'd still like to help anyway I can. That's when I went over to him, and gently started poking him.

He groaned and I said "Wake up, Bucky." 

"No."

I smiled and gently started nudging him. 

"Go away." 

I chuckled and said "C'mon Buck, get up."

He shook his head under the covers and said "No. Go away. Fuck off."

"If you don't get out of this bed, I'm gonna jump on you, and I'm all sweaty. And I don't think you want that."

That's when he threw the covers off of him and sat up. "I'm up."

I chuckled and said "Good. Now that wasn't so bad, was it?"

He groaned and he looked tired. His hair was a mess, and it was honestly the cutest thing I've ever seen. 

He yawned and then said "Go shower, stinky." I chuckled and asked "Wanna join me?" 

He wrinkled his nose and said "I think I'll pass." 

I smiled and asked "Oh so that's how it is?"

He giggled and said "Yep. Go get clean, before flies start crowding you."

I said "Alright. Just thought I'd ask...I guess I'll just go shower. Alone. All by myself. Completely naked-"

"On second thought, I think I'll join you."

I smiled and said "I thought so. C'mon."

 

* * *

 

Well the cleaning up part was gonna have to wait, because at the moment we were both a little... _Distracted_.

The arm that was around him, pulled him closer against me, if that was even possible. With his back pressed against me, I gave his neck, his shoulders, and parts of his back, lists of kisses. Some bites, which we gentle. 

I moved one hand down to his hip and gripped it, while the other moved up and gently wrapped around his throat. He had reached out and pressed his hand against the wall as support while we rocked against each other.

This was different than last time. It was close to the same pace, but not as much. Although I wasn't trying to go for bunny rabbit speed. Hopefully the sound of the water running, would block out some of our sounds. Otherwise it would be awkward to everyone else.

Soon I came, shuddering against him and moaning into his ear. I then kissed a trail up his shoulder to his neck, and then took care of him.

We cleaned up in silence, and once we got out and dried off, we got dressed. I smiled at him and saod "Hey." He looked up at me and I crooked my finger at him. "C'mere."

He smiled and came over to me, before wrapping his arms around my neck. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him closer. I smiled down at him and said "I love you."

And leaned down to kiss him. We kissed a couple times and he smiled. "I love you too." Suddenly his stomach growled and we started laughing.

I asked "You hungry?*

He nodded and said "Starving. Come on." 

Before practically dragging me downstairs.

Once we got there, Bruce was still in the kithchen, and now Natasha was. They stopped talking and looked over at us. Natasha was fighting back a smile while chewing on a piece of bacon.

"Hey fellas. How's you're morning going?"

We nodded and both said "Fine."

They snickered and Natasha said "It sure sounded like it's better than just fine."

Bucky sighed and said "I told you they'd hear it."

I said "Don't blame me, I thought the eater would help!"

Bruce said "These walls aren't very thick, my friend. But we didn't hear everything."

Natasha smiled and I gave her a look. I asked "Where'd you go off to?"

She said "To the store. We needed some stuff, is that alright with you?"

Bucky chuckled and I said "I was just wondering."

She nodded and said "Well don't worry mom, we got some breakfast made. You better eat it before we do." We nodded and sat down to eat. 

After we finished, we washed our dishes, and went into the living room. Natasha and Bruce joined us. It was me, Natasha, and Bucky on the couch, while Bruce sat at a desk away from us, and was reading his book. He's not really a TV person.

"Can you see of Law & Order is on?" I asked, looked over at her. Bucky smiled and so did she and said "I hope so. God, I love that show."

Bucky said "Me too."

She checked the channel it usually plays on and she said "It's the Special Victims Unit, is that okay?" We nodded and we started watching.


	29. Chapter 29

While we were watching, I could feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. When I pulled it out and looked st the screen, I saw Tony was calling me. I said "Hold on, I gotta take this."

I got up and answered. "Hello?"

"Dude, what the fuck?? Where are you??"

I said "Tony, I can't talk about it right now-"

"No, no, you are gonna tell me, or I'll come over and make you. Where the hell are you, nobody knows where you are!"

I sighed and said "Okay, just hold on."

I turned to them and Bucky asked "Who is it?"

I said "My friend Tony. The one who got the promotion."

Natasha asked "What does he want?"

I said "He wants to know where I am...I kinda wanna tell him everything."

"Helloooo??? Steven???" 

I groaned and said "Hang on Tony!"

"Alright, jeez! Cranky."

Natasha said "That's not a good idea, Steve. The less people know where you are, the better. Trust me."

I said "Tony could be the only one left to watch my boss. He just became his partner at my job, he can try to see what he's up to. He won't tell anyone, I'll be sure of it."

Natasha gave me a look, but said "Fine. Just tell him if he tells anyone, I'll kick the shit out of him."

I nodded and said "Alright Tony, listen to me. What I'm about to tell you, cannot, and I mean _cannot_ , be said to anyone else, alright?"

"Steve, would I really tell anyone?"

"I mean it, Tony. This isn't a game okay, my life, Bucky's life, some friends of mines lives, and maybe even your life is on the like right now. Now _promise_ me you won't tell anyone what I tell you?"

"Jesus Steve, you're starting to scare me-"

"Tony, promise me!"

"Alright! I promise! Now what is it??"

I sighed and said "Alexander Pierce isn't who you think he is, Tony." 

"What do you mean?"

I said "He almost killed Bucky. Remember when I said he went through a lot? Well Pierce was a big part of it. Him and his nephew Brock, tried to kill him. They beat him, hurt him, tried to drown him, and almost killed him in a house fire. He survived, and after awhile, that's when I met him. Pierce is a monster, Tony. Brock wasn't as bad as him, he warned us about what Pierce was planning."

"What...What was he planning?"

I said "He's coming after us. He's gonna try and kill us. The other day at the party, he only picked you because I know what he knows, and cause I jabw Bucky."

"I knew it. I knew it, that son of a bitxh would never pick me in a million years, my own father wouldn't do that. Not that I blame him."

"I'm sorry Tony."

"Don't be. Now what about Brock? Why'd he warn you guys?"

"He's afraid of Pierce. Before they started abusing Bucky, Him amd Brock were together...Like together together. And he still cared about Bucky, and wanted to help."

"Where's he at now?"

I swallowed and said "He's dead. Pierce killed him, or had someone else kill him."

"What? Really? How do you know??"

"At the party, I went out to call and check up on Bucky. Pierce came out and showed me pictures he took of Brock's dead body. He was beat to death, and Pierce had him cremated...He said he was a pest and had to get rid of him."

"Holy shit...I knew the guy was a douchebag, but Jesus Christ Steve!" 

I nodded as if he could see me and said "I know. He said he wants to take everything from me until I have nothing left. So right now, we're staying with a friend."

"Where at?"

"I can't tell you."

"Steve come on, I'm not gonna hurt you."

"I know, but I want you to stay away from us. Keep your distance, so you don't get caught in the crossfire. Okay?"

He sighed and said "Alright."

I nodded and said "Wait, where are you right now?"

He said "Don't worry Dorito, I'm at home. All by myself."

I sighed and said "Okay, good."

"We should really get the police involved in this Steve, what your doing or planning is pretty stupid."

"I know. But no cops, not unless we absolutely have to get cops. Alright?"

"Okay. So what do you want me to do since I can't join your secret club?"

"Keep tabs on Pierce. You're probably the best computer geek and hacker I know, so just keep an eye on him. Don't let him find out you're onto him. And just be careful, alright?"

"Yes mom. Alright, I'll keep you updated. Stay safe."

"Alright thank you. Oh and my friend says if you tell anyone, she'll come and kick the shit out of you."

"Me-ow. Feisty, I like it."

I rolled my eyes and he said "Will do, my lips are sealed. Later."

I said "Alright bye." And hung up.

I put my phone back in my pocket and looked back at them. I said "He won't tell anyone. He'll be keeping tabs on Pierce. What should we do in the mean time?"

"Lay low. Change your clothes, change your appearance. Steve, you might have to get a new job. And if you want to survive this, then you guys have got to know how to fight."

I said "I know how to fight."

She asked "Really? What can you do?"

I said "Well um...I know how to punch."

She said "That's not fighting. You need to know more. I'll teach you both."

Bucky asked "You know how to fight?"

Bruce said "Ohhhh don't get her started. I've seen it, first hand." All without looking up from his book, and flipping to a new page.

She nodded and said "Yep. We can start training tomorrow. But for now, sit your ass back down and watch TV with us, Rogers."

I nodded and said "Okay." I went and sat back down next to them, and Bucky cuddled against me like he normally does. I wrapped my arm around him and kissed his temple, before we went back to watching Law & Order. I hope I can trust Tony with this. Our lives depend on it. 

 


	30. Chapter 30

While we were sleeping, Natasha came into the room. She said "Guys!"

We woke up and we looked over at her. Even though there was barely any light in the room, she looked like she just saw a ghost. She swallowed and said "You might wanna come see this."

 

* * *

 

"In other news, A string of massacres are spreading throughout a few states in the US. And almost all the victims of these massacre's, are Nekos. The rare half human half feline hybrid that's become very popular in the United States. Their origin was discovered, when the government was secretly experimenting on humans to be used as tactics for warfare.

But the species evolved when the participants of the experiments, began having children. Soon they broke out of government confinements and have become very popular amongst the United States, and even some parts of the world.

So far the states where these mass murders are taking place, include: Arkansas, California, West Virginia, Texas, Philadelphia, and the newest to join being Massachusetts. The body count so far is well up in the 500's. This species is a very rare one, and there claims to be thousands upon thousands of them, and rapidly growing."

I said "Mother of God." And pulled Bucky close. 

"Most of these massacres have been done in Neko animal shelters, hospitals, schools, halfway houses, and random places out in the general public. But law enforcement seems to not be doing anything to protect victims, because they're not deamed as human beings, because of the experiment done to the original participants.

And victims of the crimes who were not Neko's, were those who support them or who have provided them. Many religious groups believe this is a necessary cleansing, while some believe these killings are hate crimes. For channel 8 news, I'm Maria Zolner."

I kissed his temple and I asked "How could anyone do that?" 

Natasha said "They don't see them as equals, so they're probably thinking of them as big hunting trips."

"Why would religious people be calling it a cleanse?" Bucky asked.

Bruce said "Mad scientists playing God. Turning humans into in human creatures, like Victor Frankenstein did."

Natasha then said  _ **"'K** **now ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are'.**_ First Corinthians. Chapter 3, verses 16 and 17 _ **.**_ If religious groups are doing this, then they must think they're on a mission from God. That they're only doing God's work."

"But you can't blame the children of the participants for who they are. They didn't exactly ask for it."

She shrugged and said "Doesn't matter to them. The children are apart of it. They could see what you and Bucky have, as Bestiality. Which is a big no no to the big guy upstairs."

"But Bucky's almost entirely human. They should be treated as humans."

Bruce said "We'd have to prove that to the government."

I nodded and said "Then let's prove it to them."

Bruce said "I think for right now, you should wait until your boss is no longer breathing to do that. Unless you want to draw unwanted attention to yourselves."

Bucky said "Honestly, I don't care if anyone doesn't want to consider me a human, I just want Pierce dead. But I'd also like to help stop more Nekos from getting killed."

Natasha said "We'll get there, hun. But for the time being, you two need to learn how to fight. And if you were to go out in public, Bucky would have to keep his true identity, a secret. Just as a precaution."

We nodded and she stood up. She said "I'm gonna change. You guys should too. When you're ready, come meet me in the barn. Don't take all day."

We nodded and Bruce said "Oh, I'd love to see this."

 

* * *

 

While we were changing, I said "That's just horrible...What they're doing." 

He said "Yeah...But you guys have it worse." 

I nodded and said "If anyone ever tries to hurt you, I swear-"

"Steve, we'll be alright...I have a feeling Natasha's gonna kick our asses onto shape."

We both chuckled and I said "I know. Is it me, or is she suddenly a little terrifying?"

He said "Oh no, it's not just you. But we need all the help we can get. So it might be worth getting our asses kicked by her. She's tough."

I smiled and said "Yeah, I've noticed."

After a couple minutes I asked "Ready?" He nodded and we headed out to the barn. When we got there, Natasha was changed out of her PJ's, and was now wearing a black tank top, and black yoga pants.

She was talking to Bruce, and then looked over at us. She smiled and said "Hey boys! Ready to go?" We nodded, and Bruce moved out of the way. 

I have a bad feeling about this.

 


	31. Chapter 31

Two hours later, Bucky and I limped back into the house. Every move we took, we winced. 

He said "Oh God...I think-Ow!-I think...I think I just got hit by a semi truck..." Then he dropped down into one of the chairs and groaned. Then he said "A thousand of them.."

I nodded and said "I think she cracked my ribs...It's like having asthma all over again."

I dropped down in front of him, and rested my head on his knees. He put his hand down on my head and gently ran his fingers through my hair.

He asked "You okay?"

I nodded and said "I think so...Are you?"

"Oh, I'm great...I never knew she could do any of that."

I said "Yeah, me either." Then Natasha and Bruce walked in.

She said "Whoo...That was quite a workout. You boys still alive?"

We both said "Barely."

She smiled and said "Don't worry, you'll get better. I see promise in you guys."

I asked "Where exactly did you learn to do all of that?"

She said "I'm a retired CIA agent, I've been taught many fighting styles, offensive and defensive alike. Always in the field, and I'm also a great shot. I almost never miss."

"Of course you are." I retorted.

Bruce said "You guys should consider yourselves lucky. That was her being nice."

Bucky said "Everything hurts. Are you sure all this is gonma help us?"

She asked "Do you trust me? Or would you like to see my other way?"

Our eyes went wide and we said "We trust you."

She nodded and said "Good. And trust me when I say I didn't break or crack anything. Like he said, I was being nice."

We nodded and she said "I'm gonna go shower." And walked away.

Bruce then came over and said "Put ice on bruises for swelling, use heat packs, Icy Hot, hot baths and showers. I'll give you some medicine now to help the pain. Just take it easy until Natasha decides it's time for another lesson."

We nodded and he gave us the medicine. He said "I recommend you two should take a hot bath or something. A very hot bath. You'll need it.

We nodded and said "Thank you." Then he went off. Bucky kept running his fingers through my hair and it felt nice, while everything else hurt. At this rate, I could fall asleep to it. 

But he said "C'mon. A bath sounds great right about now."

I nodded and said "Couldn't agree more."

I slowly stood up, being careful with my movements. When I was fully up, I reached out for him, and helped him to his feet. I winced at the pain, and he said "Sorry, sorry."

I said "Don't be, I'll live. Let's go, gorgeous."

 

* * *

 

After sinking into the crazy hot water, I winced. The heat was really uncomfortable, but it wasn't unbearable. Once I got situated, I told Bucky to be careful as he too began to step into the tub.

He winced and said "Jesus, Steve...Think you got it hot enough? We're supposed to relax, not boil."

I said "Sorry...I just wanted to make sure we could walk tomorrow."

He nodded and when he was all the way in, he was straddling my lap. He slowly wrapped his arms around me neck, and buried his face in my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around his middle and hugged him.

I leaned in and kissed his shoulder. I don't think we're in a good position to do any funny business until we recover from Natasha's "class". But that doesn't mean I can't hold him, making him feel safe. Try to ease his pain more than my own. But we trust Natasha.

I wouldn't care if she beat me into shape until she actually does break something, it would all be worth it, if it meant keeping Bucky safe.

We stayed like this for a few minutes, holding each other, giving gentle kisses. Then he said "I can't stop thinking about what we saw on the news...Everyone who was killed..."

That just made me hug him tighter, but being careful not to hurt him. I signed and said "I know. Me either."

He pulled back and looked at me. His eyes were filled with fear. He swallowed and said "I'm scared, Steve. Now Alexander isn't my only problem anymore, now tons of people like me and like you, are getting killed...Who knows how long it'll be before they get their hands on us."

"I won't let that happen."

"I know, but you can't keep me safe from everyone, Steve."

"But I can try. Bucky...I would never let anything hurt you. You know this. I don't care if the whole world tries to kill us or get to us, I'd fight them off. All of them, for you. If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna go down swinging."

He snorted and said "Okay, Bruce Willis." 

I smiled and said "Oh I'm Bruce Willis now? What happened to Bruce Lee?"

He smiled and said "I changed it. There a problem with that?"

I smiled and said "No. Not at all baby." I raised my hand up and rested it against his cheek. He said "I know you're scared. I'm scared to. And I know you probably don't want me to be your human shield, but I want to be. Why? Because I love you, and I want to do that for you. I'm hoping Natasha beating us up, will do us good. That way my beautiful little kitty can kick some ass."

He smiled and said "You're a dork."

I chuckled and said "I know. It keeps me awake at night."

His smile grew and we laughed. The water started cooling down a little, but we still sat as we were. He leaned in and kissed me, which I responded to.

We sat there and kissed for a few minutes and he smiled. He pulled away for a second d and said "You know...I kinda like this...A nice hot bath with a nice hot man under me...Could make for a very fun bath."

I smiled and said "It does. It sounds very fun."

He kissed me again and asked "Think we can find a way to improve our bath?" 

I chuckled and said "As much as I'd just love that, I think we've had enough fun for one day, Baby Doll."

He pouted and I said "Awww don't worry, Buck...As soon as we recover, I'll make sure we'll have a great time catching up."

We smiled and kissed and I asked "How's that sound?"

He smiled and said "Sounds like we better heal up real quick then."

 


	32. Chapter 32

After about a week, our bruises started healing up. They went from an ugly purple, down to a faded blue and yellow. Although I still had an ugly bruise around my nose, from where Natasha hit me.

She drove the heel of her palm square at my nose. She said using the heel of your palm, is harder than throwing a punch. We both got to see that first hand, and could vouch for that. 

We couls now walk without wincing, and move more without pain. A little while longer, and we'll be good as new. Maybe. 

We followed Bruce's instruction to help us out, and we're glad we listened. I've enjoyed all the hot baths and showers Bucky and I have taken together. It's nice. We talk, laugh, hold each other, kiss each other. Still no funny business yet. But as soon as I think we're ready, I'll worship every inch of his body and lavish him as much as he wants. 

As Tony promised, he's been keeping a secret eye on Pierce. Thankfully some of Tony has some friends an associates who are seriously skilled Blackhats, and they taught him well. Last time Tony called in to check in, he said that now Pierce won't be able to move or breathe without him knowing exactly where he is.

He actually hacked into his cell phone, and tracks everything he does. Hopefully Pierce isn't smart enough to catch on and know he's being watched. Pierce is a smart man, but hopefully not smarter than us.

Neko killings are still happening. But the news has announced that most of the people doing it, are in fact religious groups. Some churches, cults, white supremacists, even the KKK are in on it, whatever's left of them.

But I think the biggest supporter of all this mess is the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. They're already famous for their extreme hatred towards the LGBT community, and now they're pretty excited about the annihilation of the Neko species. It's disgusting.

And now that more killings and massacres are happening, we've made sure to keep Bucky undercover while we go out. Bucky hasn't been out in town much since we've been here, but the first time was a couple days ago. 

Natasha was going out to get groceries, and we went to help her. Bucky covered his head with a hat, and kept a jacket tied around his waist. His tail was stuffed in a pair of sweatpants, and it worked out well. Nobody gave us funny looks.

Although we did look over our shoulders a lot, almost too much. The people watching on the cameras, probably thought we'd steal something. 

We kept some distance between us, for extra measure. Just because we can keep him safe from any Neko killers, doesn't mean we wouldn't get shit from any Homophobes. Other than that, everything went just fine. But hopefully we don't have to leave too much. 

Maybe after Pierce is dealt with, we can try to make the situation for the Nekos, stop. Maybe fight for equal rights? I hope. I find it so sad that so many people have to fight to have the right to be considered a human being. To be considered equal to everyone else. It's so incredibly sad, it makes me want to throw up.

What doesn't make me sick, is the thought of actually making that happen. Allowing them freedom to do whatever they wish, be whoever they wish. They deserve freedom, they can't be blamed for who they are. The only ones who should be blamed are the scientists who started this. But then again without them, I wouldn't have Bucky. The love of my life. 

I started thinking about how things could be if equal rights were granted. Move somewhere nice with Bucky, start over. Maybe get married. God, how great that sounds. I'd love to marry him. Maybe adopt or something.

I've always liked the idea of being a dad. I wouldn't be a hard ass, but I'd make sure to teach my children well. I'd definitely be an overprotective father, whether I had a daughter or son, or both. And if anyone tried to hurt my children, I'd make them wish they were never _conceived_ _._

I know that even if equal rights for the Neko community, we'd still get shit about it. Everyone does. No matter of it's about race, gender, sexual preference, there will always be problems. For everyone. 

But for now, all I care about is erasing Alexander Pierce from existence. He's my biggest concern. As long as he's alive, we'll have to stay in hiding. Once he's taken care of, we could maybe go back home or move somewhere else. I could always find a different job as an architect. Although I'd miss all my time there, all the fun I've had building beautiful things with Tony.

Maybe I could convince him to leave if he wanted. Even if his dad was one of the creators of the company. He never really enjoyed it much, anways. He told me. I never got to meet his parents, they died in a car crash.

He said his mom was an amazing woman, and that he never really got along much with his dad. He said his biggest regret was not always showing them how much he really loved them. Especially before they died. I'm grateful to have Tony as a friend. Even though he's an ass almost all the time, he's been a great friend. 

I just hope this whole mess can get cleared over. I just wanna keep Bucky safe. Give him a better life, a safer one. Hopefully marry him, find a way for us to maybe have a family. Maybe find a place like this, and live in peace. 

And that's a fight I'd definitely would want to win.


	33. Chapter 33

After a few more days, we were almost completely back to normal. I think that's a sign that Natasha actually _did_ go easy on us, all things considered.

Bucky healed up way better than me. Which is good. I was sleeping and when I realized the bed was empty. I opened my eyes and looked around. No Bucky. I got up and looked in the bathroom, and he wasn't thee either. That's when I looked out the window and saw he was standing out on the porch, talking to Bruce.

I smiled and put some clothes on, before heading downstairs. I went out and they both looked at me. They smiled and Bucky said "Morning Stevie. We thought you'd never get out of bed."

I smiled and said "Sorry. Morning baby. Morning Bruce." He smiled and said "Good morning Steve."

"Where's Natasha?"

Bruce said "Still sleeping."

I nodded and asked "Anything planned for today?"

Bruce said "No. I think we all need q break today. With the four of us, the farm can survive a day without us. At least we don't have any livestock."

I nodded and Bruce said "I'll be inside if you need me. Leave you crazy kids alone." 

We laughed and said "Alright. See ya, Bruce."

"See ya."

He disappeared inside, and Bucky and I sat down on a bench. I pulled him close and gave him a kiss on his temple. "Good morning, sunshine. How are you this morning?"

He smiled and said "I'm good. How are you?" 

I said "Good. Looks lime you had a nice chat with Bruce."

He said "Yeah. We were just talking about the whole killings situation. He said if we were gonna fight for equality for the Neko community, he'd help us. And he knows Natasha and everyone else at the shelter would want in it too."

I smiled and said "Well that's good..We'd need all the help we can get " 

He nodded and said "Yeah, no kidding...Bruce is a sweet man. I just feel so bad for him, he's so lonely." 

I nodded and said "Yeah...Natasha told me he had a tough start. His mom died, and his dad was abusive. He got teased horribly through school for how smart he was, and his father never gave him a break...He's never had much luck in life, but he's a brilliant man. He deserves something like this."

He nodded and said "Yeah...I was kinda hoping him and Natasha would have a thing going. Is that bad?"

I shrugged and said "Not really, no. They seem somewhat compatible, except Bruce looks like he couldn't hurt a fly, while Natasha could probably shoot the wings off a fly."

We laughed and he said "Well I hope he finds peace. God only knows, that's what we all need right about now." 

I nodded and said "We'll get there, baby." I squeezed him closer and said "We'll get there. Sooner or later."

He sighed and rested his head on my shoulder. "I hope so."

We sat there for a few minutes and he said "God...This place is beautiful."

I smiled and said "Yeah, it's alright..." I then looked over at him and smiled. "But I got something more beautiful, right here."

He smiled and rolled his eyes. "Kissass."

I smiled and said "Only for you, baby."

He smiled and looked up at me. His tired blue grey eyes always made my heart skip a beat. Since the moment I laid eyes on him. He said "I love you...So much."

He snuggled closer and I kissed the top of his head. I smiled and said "I love you, too...I'm gonna marry you one day, baby." 

He smiled and said "I hope so. If they won't let us, then we can just get married here on the farm...Wouldn't that be nice?"

I smiled and said "Yeah. We could probably do that...Any place wouldn't matter, but I'd let you have the pick for that, Buck." 

He smiled and asked "Really?"

I nodded and said "Of course."

His smile grew and then asked "How you feeling?"

I smiled and said "Well, I think I'm gonna live." 

He smiled and said "Good, that's good."

I raised an eyebrow and asked "Why you ask?"

He smiled and said "Well...I remember you promising as soon as we were both moving like we're in our 20's instead of like we were in our 90's, we'd have some catching up to do.."

I smiled and said "Yes I did. I didn't forget that."

His smile grew and he bit his bottom lip. "Well...If you're not busy today...Would you like to catch up a little?"

I smiled big and asked "Well darlin'...How could I say no to that?" We both stood up and I we walked inside. Bruce was in the living room reading from his book. When we got to the stairs, I put my finger to my lips and whispered "Shh" before scooping him up in my arms like our first time.

He had to out his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing and held on tight while we made the journey upstairs. When we got up there, he asked "Can we take a bath?"

I smiled and said "Anything for you, Baby Doll." And winked at him, before we continued the journey to our bathroom.


	34. Chapter 34

God, I can never get over the sight of him. He's so beautiful. Especially when he's like this. And it's even better that I'm making him look and feel this way.

Call me selfish, but I don't want anyone else making him like this. Treating him how I do, and loving him like I do. I want all that just for me.

I kept my eyes just on his beautiful face, while he moved above me. One of his hands gripped my shoulder tight, the other gripped the edge of the bathtub for dear life. My hands gripped his hips, and kept him steady as he moved.

The rest of the house was quiet, except for us. But the only sounds I could hear, were all the sounds we were making, and the gentle swishing and splashing of the water. 

I just sat there and looked up at him through my lashes. He wasn't moving fast, but _God_. Nekos must be really sensitive during sex. Cause he looked like Nirvana was just around the corner. Soon, he took his hand off the tub and gently gripped the side of my neck. 

I took my hands off his hips, and wrapped my arms around him. One arm was secured around his waist, and the other went up his back, and my hand gripped his shoulder. 

He moved his head and buried his face in my shoulder. That gave me the opportunity to kiss along his neck and shoulder. But I wasn't ready when I felt Bucky gently bite at my neck with his cute little fangs.

I jumped a little when that happened, but I wasn't in pain. He quickly pulled back and looked at me with wide eyes. He stopped moving and said "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

But I wasn't mad. I was far from it. I never felt that before. I just looked at him and panted before simy saying "Do that again. Please."

He looked uncertain about it, but I just smiled and said "Really baby, go ahead...That felt good. It's okay."

He smiled a little and said "Okay." He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on my lips, before moving to the other side of my neck. He kissed there a few times, before I felt another sharp prick at my neck. It hurt about as much as getting a needle through your arm. I hardly felt it.

I sighed and he gently did it one more time, before pulling back. He had both hands planted on my shoulders and asked "Was that okay?" 

I smiled and said "Yes baby, _God_ yes. You're just perfect. Don't be worried baby. Okay?"

He nodded and said "Okay." And he started moving again. Soon I told him to stop, and he just looked at me.

I asked "Would you like me to move with you, Baby Doll?"

He bit his lip and nodded. I smiled and said "Okay baby. Sorry, I should've done that in the first place."

He said "Don't be, either way is just perfect."

I smiled and said "Well I'm gonna make it much better now...You better get ready, beautiful."

He smiled and gripped my shoulders, before he started moving again. This time, I held ontop his hips, and gently started thrusting my hips up to meet him. This made him _whimper_ and cover his mouth so he wouldn't he so loud. 

I just smiled and asked "That feel good, baby?" 

He nodded and I started picking up speed a little, making him moan. Sadly, it was muffled by his hand. He then too his hand off his mouth, and gripped my shoulder tight. That's when he started moving to match my speed. It wasn't too fast of rough, but it was enough to make our sounds just a little louder, and make us both pant like dogs on a hot day.

Soon he leaned down and started kissing me hard, which I returned. We moaned into each others mouths, and I knew I wasn't gonna last much longer, and neither was he. 

Soon enough, he was the first to go. Whimpering while his face was buried in my neck...I may have had some part in helping him get there. I gotta take care of my baby. Then I followed soon after. 

We kept moving some, just to ride everything out, until we were done. We sat there, looking at each other, and panting. We stared at each other forba few minures and I could actually see his pupils go back to it's normal size. Then he leaned down and kissed me. This time, it was gentle and sweet. I kissed back the same way.

Then I pressed our foreheads together and we closed our eyes. I swallowed and said "I love you."

I opened my eyes and was met by his gorgeous smile. He opened his eyes and said "I love you too." Before kissing me again.

After a few minutes of that, he pulled away and chuckled. "What the hell are we gonna do about this?" Gesturing to our little mess in the water. 

I smiked and said "We'll just shower...Maybe we can get a little distracted again, like last time." Before wriggling my eyebrows suggestively.

He giggled and said "You're such a dork...We'll see. Maybe, if you're good, we can have a little _distraction_. Now come on, let's drain this so we can start the shower up."

I was now determined to be very good.


	35. Chapter 35

We didn't end up going again when we showered. We were already tired before but now, we're just work out today. We just showered and went back to bed for a little while.

Dodger slept in the room with us. He loves this place, he's been nearly everywhere on this farm. But he knows not to go too far. He did that once, and that didn't end well. I didn't punish him for it, but when I finally found him, he looked scared to death.

But here, we hardly see him. Either he's out in the barn, out in the field, or somewhere in the house. He likes sleeping in the barn sometimes, but comes inside when he gets lonely. But right now, he's in with us.

But even while we were in bes, we could hardly sleep. We were spooning, and I held my little spoon. Soon he said "Maybe tomorrow, we can get distracted. How's that sound?"

I smiled and said "Sounds great, if that's what you want baby." Before leaning down and kissing his neck.

I could see his smile despite his back facing me, and said "Okay. Then we better sleep good tonight if-" then he stopped.

Then he quickly sat up and so did I. "Bucky? Bucky baby, what's wrong?"

He sat there for a minute and stared out towards the bathroom, before saying "I think I'm gonna be sick." He couldn't get out of the bed and faster, and I watched as he ran into the bathroom, and dropped down to his knees in front of the toilet. 

I quickly got up and ran in there, and he threw up. I went over to him and asked "Jesus baby, you okay?" He went again and I moved his hair out of his face and held it. I gently rubbed his back and after a few minutes, he stopped.

He coughed and I asked "You okay?"

He nodded and said "I'm fine....I think my breakfast made me sick....I cooked some eggs this morning, and I think mine weren't finished." He chuckled and then said "I think I'm alright now."

We sat there for almost ten minutes, just in case. After we saw he was done, I said "Alright Buck, let's get you into bed. Brush your teeth first, and I'll go and get you some water, okay?"

He nodded and I kissed the top of his head, before walking out. I went downstairs and saw Natasha in the kitchen. She smiled and said "Hey."

I said "Hey."

I got a glass out and got some water and she asked "You in a hurry?"

I nodded and said "Yeah. Bucky got sick, and he's gonna stay in bed for a little while. Thought I'd help."

She nodded and asked "What happened?"

I said "He said he made eggs this morning and it must've made him sick. He threw up."

She said "Ouch. Well in that case, get a rag and wet it with some cold water too. I'll go get one." 

I nodded and said "Thank you." Before she disappeared. after getting both done, I went back upstairs and saw Bucky lying in the bed. 

I smiled and said "Hey Buck. Feeling any better?"

He nodded and said "Just a little. I think getting that out made me feel better." 

I said "Well, I got you some water and this to put on your head, okay?"

He nodded and said "Okay. Thank you, Stevie."

I smiled and said "You're welcome baby." I folded the rag and gently pressed it to his forehead, before giving him a kiss on the cheek. I handed him his cup and he took a few small sips of water.

I said "Careful with that Buck, don't drink too fast. You'll make yourself sick again." He nodded and then set the cup back down.

That's when Bruce and Natasha walked in. Bruce asked "I heard from a little bird, that Bucky got sick?" 

We both nodded and Bucky said "I think it was my eggs...I think mine weren't done right. Were yours okay?" 

He nodded and said "Yeah, mine were just fine." 

Bucky nodded and said "Good, then it's just me...Guess I'm still getting used to cooking." 

Bruce asked "Is this the first time you've vomited?"

Bucky's eyes quickly moved from me and back to Bruce. Then he swallowed and said "Um...No...There was one once before, but I didn't think it mattered..."

I raised an eyebrow and asked "What?"

He said "It was while you were out running, one day. I went in the bathroom to brush my teeth, I felt my stomach churn a little, and I threw up. But it was just one quick one, it wasn't like today. I didn't think anything of it, just brushed it off, brushed my teeth a couple times, and went on. I didn't think it was important."

I said "Baby you should've told me if you got sick-"

"Honestly, it wasn't important. It was quick and painless, and I felt just fine after it happened. When I saw it didn't happen again for the rest of the day, I thought it didn't matter."

I sighed, but nodded. He should've told me. He looked down and quietly said "I'm sorry, Steve...I just didn't wanna bother you with something small like that..."

I went over and sat down beside him. I ran my fingers through his hair and said "It's okay, Buck...Just...Tell me next time, even if it was just once. I wanna know so I could make you feel better, baby." 

He nodded and said "Okay...Next time, I'll tell you, I promise." 

 


	36. Chapter 36

After what happened yesterday, Bucky felt fine. He didn't look or feel sick. Which was great. But he knows if he gets sick, that I'd love taking care of him to make him feel better. 

It was morning, and we had just finish having a nice wake up call, if you know what I mean. And now, we're just lying next to each other, naked under the covers. 

He sighed and laid his head down on my chest. One hand was splayed next to his head on my chest, tracing random designs around that, and around my stomach. 

Me however, I was just holding him close. I kissed the top of his head and asked "You awake now, Buck?"

He giggled and said "Oh yeah. I can't go back to sleep now, forget that." He turned his head and started kissing my chest and my collarbone, before moving up my neck. 

I smiled even when got to my lips. We kissed a couple times, before I said "Neither can I."

We both smiled and kissed a few more times, before he stopped and said "Oh God, not again!" And damn near launched himself out of bed, before bolting to the bathroom. 

I quickly followed behind, and managed to get his hair out of his face before he threw up. I rubbed his back and just kept saying "It's okay baby, it's okay...Just let it out, you're so beautiful baby, I'm here." 

This time, it wasn't as easy as it was yesterday. He stopped long enough to say "Get them! Steve get them-" and went right back to it. I quickly and pulled some underwear and some PJ pants on, before I ran out of the room and stood in the hallway. 

I yelled "Bruce! Natasha! Guys, come quick!" And after a couple minutes, they came out. Still in their PJ's.

Natasha asked "Steve, what's wrong?" 

I said "Bucky, he's throwing up again, it's more than yesterday."

Then we all heard Bucky cry out in pain. We in to him, and he was still next to the toilet. He was hunched over it, and was holding his stomach. 

I went over to him and asked "Baby? Baby, what's wrong?" 

He said "There's...There's something wro-AH!" And hunched over more.

Bruce asked "What is it?" 

Bucky looked up and he had tears in his eyes. My heart shattered and he said "My...My stomach...It hurts, it hurts-AHA!" And fell away from it. He curled in a ball on the floor, and I quickly moved closer to him I pulled him up enough to where his head and some of his torso, was on my lap.

Bucky sobbed and said "Steve, it hurts...It-GAH AHA!"  

I said "Goddammit guys, do something!" 

Natasha and Bruce dropped next to us, and Bruce put his hand on Bucky's stomach. I said "Wait, shouldn't we get some clothes on him-"

Natasha said "Steve we don't care if he's naked, he needs help!" 

I nodded and Bruce felt around his stomach. He looked confused. Then he asked "Bucky...Bucky, can you tell me what you're feeling?"

He said "It feels...It feels like something's stabbing me...Like it's stabbing from the inside-OW!"

I said "Shh, shh baby, I'm here. It's okay." I felt some tears falling, and he looked up at me.

He sobbed and said "It hurts, Stevie."

"I know baby, I know. But we're gonna help you, Buck. We'll get you some help baby."

I looked at Bruce and he was still confused. I asked "What is it, what's wrong?" 

Bruce then turned and whispered something to Natasha. She then gasped and looked over at us. I snapped.

"CAN SOMEONE PLEASE FUCKING TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?! WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM?!"

Bruce said "I've never seen this before, ever, I've never seen anything like this before.."

"What. Is. It?!"

Natasha looked down at Bucky and then to us, with tears in her eyes. She asked "Bucky...Bucky, are you _pregnant??_ " 


	37. Chapter 37

I froze. The word kept repeating in my head. _Bucky? Pregnant?_ No, no that _can't_ be possible.

Then I snapped out of it and asked "I'm sorry, what?"

Bruce said "Steve, Bucky's pregnant."

"No. No, no, how??"

He said "You two have been having sex, and were all your encounters with protection?"

I swallowed and said "No...Only the first time was...I completely forgot about that...But how can that be possible? Guys can't get _pregnant_." I flinched a little at the word.

Natasha said "It is possible. It's just not that common."

Bruce said "She's right. Male pregnancy is extremely _extremely_ rare. So rare, it's almost impossible. But recently I've heard almost 54 men in Australia have actually given birth and carried children. But their records were never recorded, probably with how the general public would react."

Bucky's eyes stayed wide, while Bruce said all this. Then he looked up at me and gears streamed down his face. I wiped them away and he asked "I-Is it true? Am I?" 

Bruce said "You are. I worked with humans long before I started working with animals and Nekos, I can feel it."

I asked "Well what's with the pain then? Is he contracting? Is he going into labour, or is he having a...A-" _miscarriage?_

Bruce shook his head and smiled. "No, no...No, they're growing. Forming...I can feel it...I'm not sure if the rumors with those men in Australia are true, but I have _never_ seen or known a pregnant male in my life...It's extraordinary."

"But how can this be possible?" I asked.

He said "No one can fully understand it, and I don't think anyone will ever understand. Mainly because we only know pregnancy for females. Perhaps Bucky's anatomy contains some female hormones or bits an pieces of a females reproductive organs, and he's never realized it.."

I nodded and he continued "I can't really explain this to you or give you a complete answer, Steve. My knowledge for this aspect, is limited. And I've only worked with a few pregnant women before I changed to animals...But there are most certainly offspring growing inside of him. Your children. That, is a fact."

I nodded and I asked "Well um...What...What do we do?" 

Bruce said "Right now, we should get him to the shelter. There, I'll conduct an Ultrasound on him, to see what we got."

Natasha said "An Ultrasound? But that doesn't happen until at least 4 or 5 months in, right? Or 6 at the least?" 

He nodded and said "Yes. But with Nekos, their pregnancy period could be less than that. Normal female pregnancy for cats, is 64 to 67 days. That's 2 months and about a week. And with Nekos, that could apply to them as well, depending on how their bodies handle it. But I've only worked with three pregnant female of the Neko species, at the shelter. One pregnancy lasted almost 3 months, one lasted a month and a week, and one lasted 2 months and 3 weeks. I don't know when that could happen for Bucky, it depends on how quickly your offspring grow. Now, shall we go to the shelter so I can examine him?"

 

* * *

 

I was still in shock from everything. I'm going to be a father. I'm going to be a father. I wasn't ready for that just yet, but I'm going to be a fucking father. We took Natasha's car, she drove, Bruce was in the passengers seat, and Bucky and I were in the back. 

We had the small trashcan from our bathroom with us, in case Bucky had to throw up again. Bucky was now dressed in comfortable, loose clothes. I sat upright, while he was laying on this side, his head in my lap. He was curled up a little, but not a lot. I gently ran my fingers through his hair, and we hardly said anything.

Then Natasha said "God, I feel so awful...I beat you guys up while he has babies on board....I could've screwed everything up."

Bruce said "If you did, Bucky would've had a miscarriage soon after. Perhaps it was before the fetus began to form, you may have not done any damage to them at all. I could check for damage, but it depends on how many we're dealing with."

She gripped the steering wheel tight, and said "I just hope they're okay...I don't want dead babies on my conscious."

I said "It'll he okay, Natasha. And if something happened, don't blame yourself. You didn't know."  

I was starting to worry about Bucky, cause he's hardly said anything. Maybe he's just as shocked as I am.

I just hope everything's okay.

 

* * *

 

When we got to the shelter, Bruce brought us into his room. He asked "Natasha, can you go in that closet and pull our the tools for the Ultrasound?" She nodded and did that.

Bruce said "Okay Bucky, I need you to gently get up on this chair, and lay down for me, okay?" 

He nodded, and I helped him up there. Once he laid down, They prepared everything. Bruce said "Okay Bucky, pull up your shirt please, and pull your pants down just a little." 

Bucky did that, pulling his shirt up to under his chest, and his pants down just to the start of his pelvis. Bruce said "I must warn you, this gel will be cold, but just sit still for me, okay?"

Bucky nodded and I scooted closer to him, wrapping one arm around his shoulder, and then using my free hand to take his right hand. I gave a gentle squeeze, and he squeezed back.

He hissed a little at the gel once it was put on his stomach, and he chuckled. "You were right, it is cold."

We all smiled and said "Don't worry, it'll be off soon...Now, let's move around and find our little friends, shall we?" 

He started moving the thing around his stomach, and we all had our eyes on the screen. Bruce said "It isn't clear yet...Oh wait...Wait, wait, I see one. Right here." He pointed at the screen and sure enough, there was a tiny little thing twitching around. 

That nearly made me pass out, and then he said "And here's their friend, right over here to the left...Oh, and a third right here...And one right here...So far, we've got only four friends here with us."

Four. Four babies. _My_ four babies. 

A huge grin broke out on all our faces, and I was close to tears. So was Bucky and Natasha.

"I think...Is there one more? I'm surprised I've found all I've found so far, they keep moving...Nope, that's all of them. Four in total." 

Bucky asked "Can you find out the sexes?" His grin never breaking. 

Bruce said "I could, but since there's four of them, and they don't wanna stay still for me, I can't find out. I can't give you an exact date or time when you two will become outnumbered. We just have to take it a day at a time."

We nodded and Bucky and I looked at each other. We smiled and he said "Oh my God Steve, we're gonna be parents! Oh my God, I can't believe it!"

I smiled and said "Me either...I'm so...I'm so-" next thing I know, I start falling and everything goes black.

 


	38. Chapter 38

I could feel someone shaking me, and I groaned. I opened my eyes and everything was blurry. I could see two people around me, one I knew was Natasha cause of her hair.

When everything cleared up, I saw it was her and Bruce. Bucky was still on the chair, looking worried, but also laughing a little.

I asked "What...What happened?"

Bruce said "Well in one day, you've found out you're going to be a father, that you' gonna have four children, and you just saw their tiny, developing bodies, and you fainted."

I groaned again and sat up. "How long was I out?"

Natasha said "Maybe 5 minutes. Come on Rogers, faintings so 2 years ago." 

They chuckled, and they helped me to my feet. They steadied me and Bucky said "Whoa, easy there, Tiger. You okay?" 

I nodded and said "Oh, yeah I'm good. I'm just dandy."

I leaned down and kissed his forehead, before Natasha pulled a chair out. "You might wanna sit down this time, Pops."

I nodded and sat down, still right beside Bucky. He grabbed my hand this time and smiled. "Don't worry, I got you if you go out again."

I smiled and nodded. Bruce asked "Steve, when was the first time you and Bucky had sex?"

I said "The day you told us Bucky was in heat. And said he should have sex with someone." 

He nodded and asked "And you said that first time, was protected?"

I nodded and said "Yes...I think the other times weren't, because I never expected him to get pregnant." 

"Okay, how many times after that, have you guys slept together?" 

Bucky said "Three. Do we need to describe them in great detail, too?"

Bruce chuckled and said "No, that's okay. But you've done it three other times?" We both nodded and he said "Maybe Bucky was still in heat during this time...But since he's been having intercourse, his symptoms must have gone down rather quickly...But if he was still in that period, that's where he was most vulnerable to pregnancy."

We nodded and he said "During heating periods, that's when a female is most susceptible to get pregnant. And for human female, theirs is usually after their Menstrual Cycle. Because during that period, sex is not advised, for obvious reasons. But some people believe that the Menstrual Cycle, is actually considered the best time for sex for a human female. Because of their hormones, so theirs is the human version of going into heat."

We nodded again and Natasha said "Let's not gross them out now, Bruce." 

We shook our heads and I said "Oh no, he's not. We need to know this stuff. Don't worry." 

Bruce said "Perhaps the first time after your first intimate encounter, could've been when Bucky was impregnated. Or, maybe the second time, it's not clear. And despite your number of rugrats here, and that I can't get a great look at them, they seem to be growing quiet healthy. They should be fine."

We nodded and sighed in relief. He looked over at Natasha and said "And when its time, once the babies are out, I'll take a look at them to see if any things wrong. And I'll let you know, okay?" 

She smiled and nodded. "Okay." 

Then he turned to us and said "But you two will be the first to know."

We nodded and I asked "So what now?"

Bruce said "We have to be very careful, now. Too much physical or emotional trauma or stress, could terminate the pregnancy. Bucky has to be careful from this point on. And it's just hard, because we don't know when he could go into labor. But for now, we have to get through this and keep the man that's hurt him, away long enough until the children are born. Alright?"

We nodded and he said "Good. So, no stress, get plenty of rest, no classes..." On the last one, he looked over at Natasha. Then back at us. "Don't eat to much junk food, be careful when sleeping, and be sure to gently switch on your sides when you sleep. Back and your sides only, obviously. I don't think you have to worry about sleeping on one side, then after a certain point, change to the other side. Unless you're forced to be bedridden. Just be careful, okay?"

Bucky nodded and Sai's "Yes, Sir." I did the same.

Bruce nodded and pushed his glasses up a little on his nose. "Oh and...If you feel the need for anymore...Intimacy...Just be careful about it, alright? But I wouldn't recommend it until were in the clear."

We nodded and he said "Alright. Let's get this gel off, get the Sonogram pictures developed as a souvenir, and go home."

 

* * *

 

When we got home, Bucky and I went upstairs and went into our room. Bucky sat down on the bed, and I closed the door behind us.

I stood at the door, just staring at it, until Bucky asked "You okay?"

I jumped a little and lookded over at him. He smiled and asked "You're not gonna pass out again, are you?"

I smiled and said "No, no I don't think so...I'm just...Wow."

He raised an eyebrow and asked "What is it?"

I smiled and asked "What is it? What is it? I'm... I'm gonna be a dad...We're gonna have a family, Buck." 

He smiled and rolled his eyes "Yeah, I noticed. Are you mad?"

I looked at him dumfounded and asked "Mad? Why would I be mad? I'm the complete opposite, I'm so excited! I'm gonna have littlle Neko babies!!, I couldn't be happier, Bucky!"

He smiled and said "Me too...I guess I'm still in shock."

I snorted and said "At least you didn't pass out." 

"Yeah, that was honestly so funny to watch, but I wanted to make sure you were okay first, before laughing at you."

I chuckled and said "Oh thanks...I always wondered how I was gonna react of I found out I was gonna be a dad. I pictured my reaction for a long time...I never thought I was gonna pass out, but that was always a possibility...Ma told me when she told dad she was pregnant with me, dad threw up."

He busted up laughing and asked "Oh my God, really? Eww."

I nodded and said "Yeah. But he said it was in a good way, but yeah he did. He made it to the bathroom first. But he was so excited to be a dad...I'm just sad I never really got the chance to know him...He died when I was almost 3."

He said "Awww...I'm sorry."

I smiled and said "Don't be. Oh God, how am I gonna break it to them?!"

Bucky chuckled and said "Steve, I'm sure they'll be just fine."

I said "Yeah, I know, but what if I tell them, and their boney hands just shoot out from their graves, and they come up as zombies and Ma or dad whacks me upside the head???"

He smiled big and said "Good God, you're such a dork."

I smiled and said "I know. But you love me."

He nodded and said "I do. And now you have four others in your life that do." Gently patting his belly.

I smiled and said "I know...Here, lay down."

He gently moved until he was lying down, and I put my hand on his stomach. I smiled and said "And I love my babies, yes I do. Can you guys hear me? This is your Daddy. You don't know it yet, but me and your Mommy love you very much. And we can't wait to see you guys when you're ready to break out...Man, I wonder what we'd name them? I also wanna know many guys or gals we'd be having. Doesn't matter actually, cause I love them either way. Now you guys stay put, don't be too hard on Mommy now, okay? Don't make me come in there."

He giggled and said "I think they get it, Steve." 

I smiled and said "Good. I'll see you babies soon, love you." And I kissed his stomach a few times. Then I moved and laid down next to him, and smiled.

I kissed him and said "I love you."

He smiled and kissed me back "I love you, too. This is gonna be a fun ride." 

I nodded and said "Oh I think it will be."


	39. Chapter 39

(A Month and A Half Later)

 

It's been a little over a month since we found out Bucky was pregnant. We've all been very careful with Bucky since then, but now we gotta amp it up. In just a lite over a month, Bucky has gone from looking just like he did before, pretty normal, up to looking like how a woman 5 or 6 months along, would look.

He's got the cutest little baby belly ever. We all make jokes about it, but it's nothing bad. Bucky's hormones have _definitely_ changed since then. His mood swings are outrageous, he's sleeping a lot during the day, and he demands junk food or he'd cause us physical harm. Which we all know, wouldn't happen. 

But being that I wanted Bucky to follow Bruce's orders during Pregnancy Patrol, he's been eating good, heathy food. I tell him if he does, he won't have so much weight left over from carrying the babies. And if he has any weight retaining after, we could just work it off together. 

He has been a very moody Kitty. But when we're around each other, he always gets back to his loving self...Although he's not been a happy Kitty at all about us not having sex during this thing. But I've told him as soon as it's done, he can take me by force if he has to. 

What's bad as this is taking a toll on him. Not a big one, but I'm sure it takes a toll on any expecting mother. And keeping him calm isn't the easiest, but we manage to do it. If he starts PMSing, I'll give him some baby lullabies or gentle piano or violin melodies to listen to. He's become a fan of Bruce's collection of Baroque and Opera stuff.

I've caught Bucky a few times, playing the music with the ear phones on his groimwing belly. Bruce told him that when babies listen to music like that, it could make way for musically gifted babies. So he does that a lot.

Since the day we found out, I've long quit my old job and I've been working at the shelter with Natasha and Bruce. It's nice, I really like it. And it's always nice to come home and see my beautiful Momma Kitty. 

One day after a day at the shelter, Bruce and I came back home. Natasha wasn't feeling good, so she offered to keep Bucky company. I don't like the idea of him being alone, especially with what's coming _soon_ , but nothing bad has happened. And I hope it stays that way.

When we got inside, Bucky and Natasha were sitting on the couch together. Both wrapped up together in a blanket. They both said hi, and I asked "Whatcha watching?"

Bucky said "Law & Order. There's been a marathon of that and SVU all day." 

I chuckled and said "Sounds like fun. You guys hungry?"

They nodded and he said "Get us some food, Rogers."

I smiled and said "Yes, Sergeant Bucky." 

He smiled and said "Damn straight." 

I turned to go into the kitchen, when Bucky said "Ow!...Ow..."

I looked back and asked "You okay?"

He nodded and said "Yeah, I think so...I think one of them just shanked me." 

We laughed and Natasha brought her face close to Bucky's stomach. "Fight the man, little baby. Fuck the system, be free!"

Suddenly, Bucky went "OW!" And Natasha quickly jerked back.

She put her hands up and said "I didn't mean it literally!" 

I got close and asked "Everything okay, baby?" 

He nodded and said " I think so." Then he Jerked a little and went "Ah...AH! AH FUCK!"

Bruce came over and asked "Bucky, what's happening??"

He out his hands on his stomach and said "I don't know...But everything...Everything hurts-AHA!"

Bruce said "Move guys." And Bucky moved his hands so Bruce could put them on him. He felt around for a minute and then looked at me. "I think it's time."

 _Oh_.

Bruce stood up and I said "We should take him to the shelter."

Bruce said "No, there's not enough time, depending on how long this lasts. We gotta do it here. Let's take him upstairs to your room."

We nodded and we surrounded Bucky. I said "Okay baby, hang on. We gotta get you upstairs now, okay?" He nodded and we got ready to get him up off the couch.

Bruce said "Okay, gently. On 3. 1...2...3." And we gently pulled him up to his feet. We carefully got him up the stairs, pausing when he felt pain. That's when we could hear water dripping near us. It was coming from Bucky.

Bucky oanted and looked up at us and asked "Did I just piss myself?"

Bruce said "Don't worry, you're water jut broke...I think...I'm not fully sure if you have _that_ part going for you. But it doesn't matter, let's just get you ready."

Once we got to our room, we just stood there and Bruce said "Natasha, I need you to grab as many towels as you can, get the bed covered, we one for Bucky's head, and get some ready for the babies, go!"

Natasha nodded and ran off, leaving us there to keep Bucky up. He was sweating some, and was panting and whimpering. He turned and looked at me and whimpered, before resting his head on my shoulder.

I kissed the too of his head and said "I know Buck, I know it hurts. Just hold on, hold on baby. We'll get you through this, just hold on." He nodded and Natasha came back in.

She was holding a giant pile of towels and yelled "Got it!" And threw some onto the bed, before setting the rest down on the nightstand, and started spreading the towles on the bed out. 

Bruce said "Bucky could be going in early, but last time we did a check up, I was figuring he might hold on a little while longer...Guess we always gotta expected the unexpected, right?" 

I nodded and he said "Let's get him on the bed now." We brought him over there, and Bruce said "Now Bucky, I need you to carefully lie down on your back now, okay? Just lie down, everything's gonna be just fine." 

Bucky nodded and we helped him get on the bed, and he lied down. He asked "How...How are you gonna get them out?.."

Bruce said "A Caesarean Section, remember when I told you about those? I'm gonna have to carefully cut yout lower stomach open, and get the babies out that way, okay?"

Bucky whimpered and he said "I know, I know, I'm sorry. But that's the knky way I can get them out, there's no other way. Do you trust me?"

Bucky nodded and said "Good, just keep doing that. I promise you, we'll get you through this."


	40. Chapter 40

Bucky started screaming and Bruce asked "Bucky, Bucky are you with me?" He cried out again and nodded. Bruce said "Okay, just calm down as much as you possibly can, okay? We haven't started just yet."

Bucky threw his head back and yelled, before yelling "FUCKING GET THEM OUT OF ME, BANNER OR I'LL RIP YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!" 

We all looked at each other, and I said "He's usually very sweet." 

Bruce said "Okay, Natasha, did you get the one rag wet?" She nodded and said "Okay, fold it, and keep it on his forehead."

She nodded and did that, and said "It's okay Buck. It's okay, shh." 

Bruce said "Steve, I have so tools in my room, they're in a red bag, please go get the for me." I nodded and ran to his room, and found the bag sitting on a chair. He had kept it out just in case this happened. We were originally gonna do it at the Shelter, but now that's out the window.

I quickly went and grabbed it, before running back to our room. I handed them to Bruce and said "There's Hand Sanitizer in the bathroom, please get it for me."

I nodded and went and got it, and brought it back. He pumped some onto his hands and quickly rubbed all around his hands and up to his elbows. Then he pulled out a thing of doctors gloves, and oulled them on. Then he pulled out a small container, with some medical tools, sitting in what looked like water. He opened the lid to the container and said "I've kept these sitting in alcohol for the past week...Just in case. You never know." 

We nodded and Bucky said "Okay now GET THEM OUT!!" 

Bruce said "Right, my apologies, Bucky. "Steve, go stand with Bucky, Natasha, you come stans by me, get a towel ready." We went to our stations, and I took Bucky's hand in mine.

Then he squeezed hard and I said "That's it baby, it's okay. It'll be over soon, I promise. You're doing great."

He gave me a look and said "Ohhhh Steve, I'm gonna kill you." 

I drew my eyebrow together and asked "For what?"

He cried a little and said "You did this to me." 

Natasha and I chuckled and I said "Okay Buck, you can kill me after, okay?" 

He groaned and said "Good. You better get ready."

Bruce said "Okay, Steve, can you pull your belt off? I think it would be good for him to have something to bite on." 

I nodded and said "Yeah, sure." 

I quickly let go of his hand and fumbled to get my belt undone, before pulling it off. I folded it and put it up to Bucky's mouth. I said "Here baby, bite on this, okay?"

He nodded and quickly sank his teeth into it. Better the belt, than my arm. Then Bruce said "Okay, now I'm gonna start making an incision, okay? I need you to stay as still as you can, okay?"

Bucky nodded and I said "I'll hold him down."

Bruce said "Yeah, please do that." 

I gave a firm grip to keep his arms pinned down and I said "Just stay still, Buck. Here we go."

Bruce said "Okay, on 3. 1...2...3... " I looked away while Bruce started cutting, and Bucky's screams were muffled by my belt.

I just looked at Bucky and said "Just stay calm Buck, just look on me. Keep your eyes on me baby, come on." 

Bucky kept his eyes fixed on me and it hurt seeing him in so much pain. I said "I love you. I love you so much, it's almost over, it's so close. Just stay calm baby, stay calm. I love you so much, I'm gonna marry you, Buck. I'm gonna marry you, and we'll be so happy together, all of us. Just hang in there for a little bit long baby, c'mon."

He nodded and let his head drop down on the pillows. That's when I could hear the sounds of a baby crying. The second I heard that, I smiled and started crying. I could see Bucky was doing the same.

A moment later, Bruce said "Baby number one, we got a girl." I cried harder and looked over to see Bruce put her in Natasha's arms. She quickly wrapped her up in a green towel, and Bucky spit the belt out. 

He said "Lemme...Lemme see her...I wanna see her.." 

We all looked at him and he said "I'm okay, I'm good...Just let me see her, please." 

Natasha nodded and I moved. Bucky looked at Bruce and asked "Can I sit up a little." Bruce nodded and moved.

I gently helped him sit up a little, and Natasha put her in his arms. The minute she was in his arms, he just broke down and cried. He smiled and said "Oh...Oh my God...Hi...Hi there, Princess...Oh God, you're so beautiful. You're so beautiful, Princess."

God, she is. She's so beautiful. She had very light colored hair, pale skin, and ears that matched her hair. I couldn't see her tail, but I'm aure it's the same color as them.

I smiled down at her cute little face and said "Hey there, Baby Girl...Welcome to the party. God, look at you. You look like you're Mommy, Baby Girl...Do you have your Mommy's eyes?" 

Bucky snorted and said "No, she takes after her Daddy. I can see it."

I guess we got distracted by her, that we almost missed Bruce saying "Alright, baby number two, we have another girl." 

We smiled and Bucky asked "You wanna hold her, baby?"

I nodded and said "Yes, God yes. C'mere Princess." He carefully handed her to me, and a huge grin spread across my face. She shifted a little in my arms, and made a little huff, before her eyes opened. 

I nearly broke down and cried myself, when I saw her eyes. I looked up at Bucky and I could feel my lip quivering. It took me a minute but I finally managed to spit out "She's got your eyes, Buck."

He smiled and Natasha handed our second little Princess to Bucky. He said "She's got the same color as my ears and tail...Oh God, she's got your eyes, Steve!"

Soon, Bruce informed us that our last tiny party guests, were boys. One had both the ears and the tail, but one just had the ears. And apparently it turn out our first Princess, doesn't have a tail. In total, we have two Princes and two Princesses. Two blond, two brunette. Two with Bucky's gorgeous eyes, one with my eyes, and one with a mixture of the baby blue and grey. Two have both ears and tails, and two just have the ears. All different, all unique, but all of them just perfect.


	41. Chapter 41

Natasha said "I think we're outnumbered here now, boys." 

We smiled and I saod "Outnumbered is an understatement...We're outnumbered by these little cuties...Thank God we got the whole nursery set up before all this, or else we'd have another problem."

They all nodded and she asked "Now what the hell are we gonna name all of them?" 

Bucky smiled and "Well one of these gorgeous ladies has to be named Sarah...Steve's mom."

I looked over at him, and he just smiled. He said "Question is, which ones gonna be our little Sarah?" 

I smiled and looked down at our blond little beauty in my arms. My smile grew and said "Her. This one...This is Sarah...She looks so much like her, actually...Sarah's Natasha Roger's."

Natasha smiled and then Bucky looked down at the beautiful brunette and asked "What about you? Hmm? What about you, gorgeous?...Hmm...How about...Natasha, what's your birth name?" 

She said "Natalia Alianovna Romanova...You can use it if you want." Before she smiled. 

Bucky nodded and Bruce said "My full name is Robert Bruce Banner, if you need help for one of the boys."

I smiled and said "Anthony Grant Rogers...Anthony's Tony's name. Maybe that could work?" 

They shrugged and said "Up to you guys."

Bucky said "Oh! Oh, I've got it! Sarah Natalia Rogers, Anthony Grant Rogers, James Robert Rogers, and Natasha Renee Rogers...Renee was the name of the nice older woman I was...And I just came up with James...Just felt right.."

I smiled and said "Actually, I know a James. He's a friend of mine and Tony."

He smiled and asked "So what do you think? Are they good names?"

Everyone else smiled and I said "They're perfect, Buck."

Bruce said "I can call a friend of mine and send him their names so we can get actually birth certificates made...They won't be on a public record, but this way, we can keep documentation of their existence, until we could get them legalized...Now I don't know if this could get us in trouble, it probably might, but after they get made, I'll have him mail them to us. Congrats guys."

 

* * *

 

(Alexander's POV)

 

They think they can hide from me...They think they can outsmart me, turn Stark against me. I may have been born at night, but I wasn't born last night. 

I got a few of my guys to search for someone I could see as useful, and they said they might have found someone. A free lance contractor, named Helmut Zemo.

Let's give him a call, shall we?

After a few rings, he picked up.

"Hello?"

"Is this Zemo? Helmut Zemo? I hear you're a good...Contractor, and I need some help remodelling."

There was silence on the other line for a moment or so, before he asked "What kind of work you need done?"

I smiled and said "I have some old floorboards that needs tearing out...Can you help?" 

"How many?"

I said "Two, that I know of...Possibly more. How much would I owe you?"

"$50,000. Upfront or wire transfer."

I nodded and said "I'll get it transferred right now."

"What's your location?"

I said "Couple hours outside of Brooklyn. Farm up north. I'll send the coordinates. Observe and report, wait for my call."

He said "Alright." And then hung up.

I smiled and sat back in my seat. Oh Steven. I'm going to tear your world apart...But first, I ought to take care of Stark. Sneaky little shit.


	42. Chapter 42

(3 Weeks Later)

 

(Steve's POV)

 

Man, Natasha was right...This house has just gotten a little crazy. I'm one week, Sarah went from just a tiny little baby to being almost 4! In two weeks! Good Lord. Natasha is 3, while Anthony is 1 and a half, and James is 11 months. Maybe Bucky might stick as a nickname for James. Don't know why, but it just feels right. 

Every since they were born, this house has turned into the Cuckoos Nest. There's extra mouths to feed, which we don't mind. We also don't mind getting up in the middle of the night, to check on our babies.

One downside to having children that have rapid aging until a certain age, is they always grow out of clothes too quick. That happens to all kids, but damn, ours have to change _quick_.

They always wonder who they are, why their " 'bubbies' and 'sissies' " have ears and tails like a cat. Or why only two have both and the others have just one. This is gonna be way easier to explain to them, when their older...Which won't be very long.

Sarah looks just like Ma. And Ma has shown me what she looked like when she was little and it's like I'm looking at that same picture. She looks just like Ma. Except she has her Daddy/Mommy's eyes. 

They're all very smart. Sarah and Natasha can already talk, walk, read, write, hell they can do lots of things. It's very impressive. They all call Natasha and Bruce Aunti Natty and Uncle Brucie.

Natasha wants to teach them all the languages she's fluid in. She knows Russian, Latin, English, French, Italian, German, Chinese, and some other ones. Which I find kinda scary. Let's just hope they don't enter the CIA by Second grade. 

They're such sweet kids, and they love living on the farm. They've tried to convince us that we need farm animals since we live on a farm, but we told them we couldn't. When they'd ask why, we would just joke and say "Cause then they'd be scared of Auntie Natty."

I love them, God I do. I've been a parent for 3 weeks, but with them...It just feels like years. I would do anything for my kids, as much as I'd do anything for Bucky. I just hope Pierce doesn't find out about them. Or he'd probably kill them too.

 

* * *

 

One night while we were sleeping, I felt someone shake me awake while whispering "Daddy...Daddy, wake up." I woke up to see Sarah and Natasha standing by the bed. Bucky was sound sleep, with his head on my chest and his arms around me.

I looked at them and said "Hey girls...What are you doing up?"

Natasha said "We couldn't sleep."

Sarah said "We keep hearing noises."

I smiled and said "Baby Girls, this is an old house. Old houses make all kinds of noises."

Natasha said "We keep hearing them coming from outside."

That caught my attention. I shifted a little, and caused Bucky to stir. He groaned and asked "Steve? What is it?" Then he looked at the girl and smiled. He asked "Hey, who are these gorgeous little women? What's wrong, you girls have a bad dream?"

I said "They said they keep hearing noises coming from outside."

He quickly sat up and asked "What?" Then he looked back at them and asked "What do they sound like, Baby Girls?"

Sarah said "They sound lime footsteps, Daddy."

Natasha nodded and said "And sometimes they sound like they're getting closer. As if it's by the house."

We nodded and I looked at him. I said "Take the girls back to their room. Stay with them and the boys, I'll go check it out." 

He asked "You need any help?" 

I shook my head and said "No. Just stay with them until I get back. Wake Nat of you need to." 

He nodded and we got up. I smiled and squatted down to their levels. I said "Alright Baby Girls, Daddy's gonna take you back to your room and stay with you and your brothers, until I get back. I'm gonna go check on what's keeping you Princesses up. Okay?'

They nodded and said "Okay Daddy."

I smiled and gave them each some hugs and kisses and told them I loved them, before standing back up. I gave Bucky a quick kiss and said "I'll be right back. If anything happens, run."

He nodded and said "Be careful."

I nodded and kissed him again. I said "I love you."

He said "I love you too. Be careful."

The girls said "Be careful, Daddy."

Buck then said "Come on babies, let's go play in your room, okay? But don't wake up your brothers, okay?" 

They said "Okay Daddy." And they went off. Bucky carrying Natasha on his hip, while Sarah was on her feet, holding his hand as they walked. Time to make sure we're safe.

 

* * *

 

I grabbed a baseball bat in one hand, and a gun Natasha gave to me, tucked in the waistband of my pants. Before Bucky went into labor, Natasha taught me some more fighting, and didn't bruise me up as much. Since then, she taught me every day during that month, and said I'm getting much better. 

She also taught me how to shoot, which comes in handy. When I got outside, I pulled the bat up and tested the top on my shoulder, and quietly made my way down the steps, before moving around the corner. Suddenly, I stopped when I heard splashing.

I quietly set the bat down on the ground when I heard it again, and quietly pulled the gun out, aimed and ready. And thankfully, loaded. Kept far away from the boys and girls, of course. I grabbed it when after Bucky took them.

I quietly kept moving until I heard the splashing again, and my heart stopped when I idealized it smelled like gas. That's when I saw a guy splashing gas onto the house, high and low. He had a lighter opened and ready.

I quickly yelled "DON'T FUCKING MOVE!"

The guy jumped and the lighter dropped. Suddenly, fire started rising. I yelled "NO!"

Thw guy turned and started running, and that's when I fires two shots. One got him in the shoulder, one got him in the back. He yelled in pain, and dropped down to the ground. 

The flames started rising higher, going from the kitchen, now moving up to the second floor. Oh God, no!

"BUCKY! BUCKY!"

Bucky opened the window and yelled "Steve, what's going on?! Where those gunshots?!"

"GET EVERYONE OUT NOW, THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE!"

I saw the fear form on his face and he said "Not again..GIRLS, GET YOUR BROTHERS OUT OF BED, WE GOTTA GO NOW!"

I ran back inside ams yelled "BRUCE! NATASHA! DODGER! GUYS COME ON!"

I heard barking and saw Dodger running towards me. I said "Come on Dodger! Outside boy, come on! That's it, good boy! Wait for Daddy outside!" When he was outside, I saw Natasha run down stairs, holding James. 

She said "EVERYONE'S RIGHT BEHIND US, I THINK! GO CHECK, I GOT HIM!"

I quickly ran upstairs, and I could see smoke starting to pour inside. I started coughing and when I got upstairs, I nearly ran into Bruce. Bruce had Anthony in his arms. 

I asked "WHERE'S BUCKY AND THE GIRLS??"

He said "I dunno...The hallway down there's getting pretty bad." That's when my heart stopped. That hallways is where Bucky and the girls are at right now.

I said "GET OUTSIDE, I'LL BE RIGHT OUT!" Then he turned and ran.

I then bolted down towards the girls and boys room, and yelled "BUCKY! GIRLS!"

"DADDY!"

"DADDY. HURRY! IT'S GETTING REALLY HOT!

"STEVE! STEVE, WE CAN'T GET OUT, THE DOORS JAMMED! AND THE FALL FROM THE WINDOW, COULD KILL THEM!"

"STAY AWAY FROM THE DOOR, I'M COMING IN!"

I could hear them coughing, and that's when I took a deep breath. Then with one kick to the door, it flew open. Flames were billowing up from downstairs, so we can't go there.

I ran towards them and I told Bucky "The only way out is through the window. We can't go downstairs, this is the only way out."

He asked "But the fall is too high for them!"

The window was already opened, and I yelled "NAT! BRUCE! YOU GUYS GET READY, I'M GONNA SWND THE GIRLS DOWN TO YOU!"

He looked at me in horror and said "Steve no-"

"DAMMIT BUCKY, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY OUT!...WE HAVE TO!"

He then nodded and said "Okay." 

I turned to the girls and said "Okay girls, Natty and Brucie are gonna catch you guys. You're gonna quickly crawl out the window, go down a little down the side and jump! Okay??"

They nodded and Natasha said "Daddy, I'm scared!"

I said "I know. I know Baby Girl, we're scared too. But we'll be alright, okay? Just jump, they'll catch you." They nodded, and I helped Sarah carefully get out of the window, and onto the slope. It wasn't just a straight drop down, there was a little slope that connected with the porch.

I yelled "SARAH'S COMING OUT! READY?!"

Natasha yelled "READY! COME HERE, BABY GIRL!"

Sarah slowly moved down the slope a little, and that's when she jumped. She screamed, and then Natasha said "GOT HER! SHE'S FINE!"

I said "Okay Natasha, go to them, okay? My brave girls, you girls are so brave. We'll be right behind you, we love you."

She said "I love you too." 

"NAT, NATASHA'S COMING OUT."

Bruce yelled "READY!"

"COME HERE NATTY BEAR!"

Natasha did the same and Bruce said "ALL CLEAR!"

"HURRY GUYS!"

The fire was consuming the house. And we only had a few minute left until it caves in. We started coughing a lot cause of the smoke, and I finally managed to say "Okay, Buck! Go! I'll be right behind you!" 

He nodded and coughed a couple times before saying "I love you!"

"I love you too! Go!"

He quickly crawled out the window and carefully moved down the slope, before he jumped off. Now it's my turn. The fire reached me. It was coming my way.

I coughed as I made my way out of the window, and my feet touching the slope. 

"STEVE JUMP!"

"JUMP DADDY JUMP!"

"COME ON STEVE!"

"HURRY DADDY!"

"PLEASE GOD, BABY JUMP!"

I could feel the heat flowing out the window. I winced as it got close to me. I could hear them screaming, telling me to jump. And I could hear myself screaming it in my head.

_Jump._

_Jump Steve._

_Come on Steve, hurry!_

_There's no time left!_

_JUMP!!_

_Jump, jump, jump, jump, JUMP!_

"STEVE GODDAMMIT, JUMP!"

**J-U-M-P!!!!**

And I did.


	43. Chapter 43

I launched myself off the roof, as if I was doing a belly flop, but quickly moved to where I wouldn't kill myself. Everyone moved, and I landed on my side.

I felt the wind get knocked out of me, and then Bucky was right next to me. He pulled me into him and said "Oh thank God, you're okay." And started crying.

I couldn't speak for a couple minutes, while he held me. Then the girls ran over and yelled "DADDY!" 

When I could finally speak again, I hugged Bucky back tight, and pulled the girls in. I sat there and hugged them, kissed them. I asked "You guys okay? Anyone hurt?" 

The girls said no and they said they were fine. Bucky said "I'm good babe, I'm good."

I nodded and said "I love you guys, I love you so so much. I love Daddy, and I love my girls and my boys. Oh God, the boys!" Him and I got up, and went over to Natasha and Bruce.

I asked "Are they okay?!"

Natasha said "Yeah, I think so."

Bruce said "We got them out before the worst of the smoke got it. I can take us to the shelter and get them checked out."

We nodded and I asked "You guys okay?" 

They nodded and Natasha looked at the burning house. I saw a few tears roll down her cheek, while she held James. She said "Just lost my home of 8 years... But I'm good."

I Gabe her a side hug and said "We'll find somewhere...I'm sorry Nat."

She nodded and smiled. "I'm just happy we're all okay."

I said "Yeah, me too."

Bucky wrapped his arm around me and pulled me against his side. He coughed and asked "What happened when the house caught fire? Did you shoot someone?" 

I nodded and said "Yep. Came out here, caught a guy throwing gas onto the house, and accidentally dropped the lighter he was gonna throw it. But when I told him don't move, I ended up scaring him, ans he dropped it on accident.."

He nodded and said "Well...Coming here wasn't accidental. Where is he?"

I turned and looked over at the still moving body on the ground. I said "Right over there."

Bucky stared at the guy, taking a few deep breaths in, and exhaling out. Then he said "Well I'm gonna accidentally kill him." 

He quickly marched over there, and the girls yelled "Daddy!!"

"Bucky!"

I followed him and the girls called after me too. 

"Stay with Auntie Natty, and Uncle Brucie, Baby Girls...You're Daddy and I are gonna have a talk with this guy."

I looked back at Natasha and she said "We got 'em. C'mon girls, let's get to the cars."

I kept following Bucky, and I've never seen him so pissed. But so am I. When Bucky reached the guy, he grabbed him by the back of his shirt and yelled "C'MERE!" And the guy went from being on his stomach, to being thrown onto his back.

He groaned and cried out in pain, and Bucky asked "Oh I'm sorry, does that hurt? Did I hurt you?" He kicked him in the side and asked "Did I hurt you? Huh?!"

He kicked him again and said "Well that's what you get you son of a bitch! You know what you almost did?!"

He got down on top of the guy and grabbed him by his shirt collar. With his right hand. He pulled the guy up until they were nose to nose. He hissed "You almost killed family!" Before punching him in the face with his left fist 

"You burned down my home!"

_Punch._

"You almost killed my friends!"

_Punch._

"YOU ALMOST KILLED MY FUCKING CHILDREN!"

_Punch._

"YOU ALMOST KILLED THE MAN I LOVE!"

_Punch._

"YOU ALMOST TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!"

He spit in the guys face and said "I hope you burn in Hell...Or I can drag you there myself."

"BUCK STOP!" He stopped punching him, and I squatted down next to him. He looked over at me, and in his normally kind and gentle eyes, all I could see nothing but _**rage**_. He seemed to calm down a tad, but not much. He just stared at me, trying to contro his breathing, and asked "You wanna turn?"

I nodded and said "In a minute...Go with them Buck, I'll take over from here." 

He didn't wanna move, but I said "It's okay, Buck." I kissed his forehead and said "Just go wait with them, baby."

He nodded and looked back at the guy. He said "Just cause I'm leaving, doesn't make it easier for you." Then he got up, and walked off towards the others.

I dropped down next to him and his fave was pretty banged up from Bucky. He was surprisingly alive. He opened his eyes and said "He has...He has metal arm?" Clearly, with an accent...Maybe Russian..German maybe? Can't be sure.

I nodded and said "Yeah."

"How?"

I felt my teeth grit and I said "He survived a house fire. Before we met."

"House fire? Huh."

I asked "What is it?"

He said "No wonder the old man said kill them in fire. I don't do fires. Take too long."

I asked "You're a professional?"

He nodded and said "Only if you want the best. No one, no one better than Zemo." 

I asked "Who hired you?"

He smiled and said "You know who."

Pierce. Of course. 

I nodded and said "I do. How stupid of me...You're lucky I asked him to walk away...But I'm not as forgiving as he is....You almost killed us."

He said "I know."

I felt my skin start to heat up, and not just by the fire. I asked "Did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That there were children in that house? 2 babies, 2 Toddlers."

He swallowed and said "Yes. The old man had me follow you for a while. Spy on you, and report to him. I told him about the children. I didn't want to hurt them. But he just said...Kill them all."

Pierce knows about the kids. And now he's gonna come at us with everything he's got. He definitely won't stop now.

I asked "You were ready to kill innocent children? Innocent people?"

"With this job...Emotions make you sloppy....Zemo is not sloppy."

I nodded and asked "Where is he?"

He said "Right now? I don't know. He doesn't tell me where he is."

I signed and nodded again. He said "Zemo is not sloppy...But I am happy your children are alive. I don't expect forgiveness from you. I understand."

I said "My mother taught me that forgiveness is what everyone needs. Not carrying a grudge."

He said "Your mother must be good woman."

I smiled and said "Yeah. She was."

I stood up and walked off until I found the baseball bat. I picked it up off the ground, and walked back to him. He looked up at me, and his eyes widened at the sight of the bat. 

I said "She also said once that if someone does something terrible to you. Something awful to you...Forgive them. Even if they take everything from you....But after they've taken everything....You can take matters into your own hands. Be so generous enough to send them off, so they can meet their maker....It was a pleasure making your acquaintance, Mister Zemo. I hope you get to stay up at the Presidential suite. You can meet my mother and father there. And your maker."

 


	44. Chapter 44

After I stopped, he was gone. I stopped to catch my breath, and I looked up at the sky. All things considered, tonight is a beautiful night.

I feel like the big guy is looking out for me, despite everything that's happened since the day I met Bucky. Sure everyone says he's a real hardass and hates certain things and certain people, but...I think he's looking out for us. I'm hoping that, anways.

I mean, as long as we're good people, and we don't do harm to others unless we're protecting ourselves, we got nothing to worry about. Right?

I then looked down at Zemo, and sighed. The fire was still burning big. I tossed the bat into the fire, then took off my bloody shirt. I wiped my face with it, and the shirt went in next. I then carefully picked Zemo's body up, before tossing him in there. Thankfully, the fire didn't blow towards me.

I had a white undershirt on, and I walked away. I walked towards the cars, and saw them standing there. Bucky, Natasha, and Bruce were talking to the kids. Then they all looked at me.

I suddenly felt scared, thinking they saw what I did. That they saw their Daddy beat a bad man to death. I looked over at Bucky and Natasha said "Okay, let's get in the car now, sit with Uncle Brucie in there, I gotta talk to your Daddies for a minute. Okay?"

The girls and even Anthony, nodded. The girls said "Okay, Auntie Natty." 

Anthony said "Caw wide!"

Natasha smiled and said "Yeah Baby Boy, caw wide! A fun caw wide!" James is still working on talking.

After we got them situated in their car seats, Bruce got in to distract them.

Natasha turnes to us and I asked "Why weren't they in the car earlier?"

She said "Bruce and I were checking for bombs...In case that guy planted them while we were asleep. I made sure we checked out every possible scenario."

I nodded and turned to Bucky. I swallowed and asked "Did they see it?"

Bucky shook his head and said "No. We kept them distracted. Plus you were behind the house, the fire covered you up enough."

I nodded and asked "So what now?" 

Natasha said "Find a better place, lay low, lay even lower. I don't think even going to work could be safe anymore. Not until this guy is dealt with."

We nodded and Bucky asked "Where now?" 

She said "Hotel. Pay in cash, cash only. I'm not worried about funs drying up, I've saved plenty over the years. We'll be fine. I'll make sure we keep each other safe. Get in." 

 

* * *

 

We rode in the same car, Bruce drove, Natasha was at the front, and Bucky and I between four car seats. Soon we drove into town, and found a hotel. Nothing super fancy, but Natasha said it'll do. 

When we walked in, the guy at the front desk, was a little put off by three adults, walking into the building, all dirty. Bruce stayed behind to watch the kids until we can go into rooms.

Natasha looked at him with the straightest face I've ever seen, and said "There are about 50 different scenarios I can see in my head right now about how I can break one of your hands or both. So if I were you, I'd be very careful with my choice of words right now, we've had a long night, and we need a place to sleep."

The guy's eyes went wide and he swallowed. He asked "How...How may I help you folks, this evening?"

She said "We need two rooms, your best rooms, both with two beds each, and the rooms need to be right next to each other." That's when she slapped $2,000 in cash, on the counter.

She said "We will use these rooms for some time, we will not be bothered at all by housekeeping whether we're in the rooms or not, we're not sure when we'll leave. But if we leave at a certain point and our total doesn't add up to this amount by the time we leave, I will get my change back. You tell me no or try to call the police, I'll move on and find a much more interesting scenario to break your fucking neck, do I make myself clear?"

He nodded and said "Yes." 

She said "Good. Also, do you have a police about having small children or babies at this establishment?" 

He said "Usually, yes. Families with children under 10, pay extra."

She said "This rule will not apply with us."

He nodded and said "Yes ma'am."

She said "Good. Because we have two toddlers and two babies, and they've seen hell tonight, just like us. And we'd like to make sure their stay here, will be an enjoyable one. May we have our keys, Randy?"

He flinched at the sound of his own name, and said "Yes. No problem."

She turned to me and smiled a little. Her smile disappeared when she turned her attention back to him. 

He handed her the keys and she asked "You wouldn't happen to know where we can acquire some clean clothes, do you Randy?"

He said "A-Actually, we have a lost and found. We wash the clothes eveey week, in case anyone comes back for them."

She nodded and said "Show it to us."


	45. Chapter 45

He led us to a room where there were tons of clothes on racks, and big-ish plastic containers. He said "Take whatever you like."

Natasha said "Thank you, Randy. You're very nice. Stay in here, with us." Randy nodded and we started looking.

After about 10 minutes, we each had our own containers. One each for the four of us, and one container just for the kids. 

Natasha asked "You guys don't happen to have any clean, unused underwear for men and women, do you?"

Randy said "We uh, we do, actually. Not a lot. Figured we'd save them in case anyone needed them. We sometimes donate stuff to Salvation Army, Goodwill, we have some clean uh _stuff_ , you can use."

We nodded and I noticed he kept looking at Bucky. I asked "Everything okay, Randy?"

He jumped and said "Uh y-yes Sir...I've just...I just never saw anyone like him, before. Not in person, anyways."

I nodded and Natasha asked "Have anything against Nekos, Randy?"

He shook his head and said "No, ma'am. I find him very interesting...I-In a good way, of course."

She nodded and said "Good. What floor are our rooms at?"

He said "I'll take you there myself, if you wish." 

She said "Please do."

He nodded and Natasha said "I'll call Bruce."

 

* * *

 

We went back outside and got the kids out of the car, and followed Randy to the too floor of the building, and stopped in front of two rooms. This building is only 5 floors.

He said "Here you are, folks. I hope you enjoy your stay with us. And if you need anything else, please let me know." 

We nodded and Natasha asked "Where's the closest shopping mall?"

He said "A couple miles down the road. Small one, but I think it'll be up to your liking. There's also a Walmart, Target, Kohls, and so on close by, as well. If you come by the desk in the morning, I'll be happy to give you directions."

We nodded and I said "Thank you."

He nodded and handed us our key cards. 

Natasha asked "How good is your internet access?"

He said "Very good. Free WiFi for every guest."

"Cut the WiFi from our room. The only thing we'll need working are the lights, plumbing, and the TV."

He nodded and she said "I apologize for any rudeness, during our time together. We just have a bad man, who wants us all dead. The kids too. He tried to succeed tonight, and we just wamma keep each other safe."

He nodded and said "I understand. And don't apologize, you weren't rude." 

She smiled a little and said "Good."

She pulled out $500 and said "This is for you. For showing us kindness, even if we're just strangers. I find kindness very rare nowadays, but I'm grateful for yours. And I'll continue to be grateful, if our encounters and our future ones, stay between us. Okay?"

He nodded and said "Yes ma'am. Thank you."

She handed him the money and he said "Enjoy your night." Before we walked into one of the rooms.

 

* * *

 

As soon as the door closed, we all laughed. Bucky then said "Woman, you are out of your mind."

She smiled and said "You just gotta be confident about it, if not, then they'd walk over you."

I said "Oh you had confidence alright."

She said "Okay. Bruce and I will take the room next door, you guys take this one."

We nodded and I said "Aww man...What are we gonna do about cribs?? We can't just leave them on the beds!"

Natasha said "Don't worry, Steve...I had Bruce carry in the portable cribs, remember? Just a few minutes, and bam..You're good."

Then I remembered he in fact did bring those. I nodded and said "Good."

She smiled and said "You guys should clean up. And get some sleep."

I said "I know...Goodnight guys. See you in the morning."

They said "Goodnight."

They also said their good nights to the kids, and Natasha said "Be good for your Daddies tonight, okay?" They said "Yes Auntie Natty!" And we turned to leave the room.

Then Natasha said "Wait."

We turned and looked back at them, and so did the kids. She stoos up and looked at the kids. She said "Guys, I need to tell your Daddies something, okay? This is grown up talk, Can you cover your ears?" They nodded and covered them. When she saw they were covered, she looked at us.

She said "You tried to keep your peace back on the farm. He destroyed that peace tonight, sending that guy. I just want you guys to know, that the minute you close your door begins you, tonight. You past, and everything you were taught before then, is gone. It not longer exists. Are you with me so far?"

We nodded and said "Yes."

Then she continued. "As long as that man is breathing, this is now your fight for survival. Your fight for survival, our fight for ours, and the fight for theirs. From this point forward, I will teach you. Bruce will teach you. We will teach you how to survive, even after you take that guy down. We will teach you how to survive, but please...Please don't lose who you are. Don't become me. Keep who you are as a person, for yourselves, for each other, and for your children. Just forget the rest. After this is over, you can try to get back what you knew then. As soon as you close your door tonight, your new life begins, if you want it to. Do you understand?"

We nodded and said "Yes." 

She nodded and said "Okay...Don't become me. I don't want that for you two. Or for them." 

We nodded and she smiled. She said "Okay guys, you can uncover them now. I'll see you guys tomorrow morning, okay?"

They nodded and said "Goodnight Auntie Natty. Goodnight Uncle Brucie."

They said goodnight and I said "I'll knock on your door in the morning...Goodnight, guys."

We saod goodnight, and I said "Come on babies, let's get you guys cleaned up." And walked over to our door. Bucky grabbed the keycard from his pocket, and unlocked the door. Once he opened it, we walked in, and I turned to close the door. 

That's when I stopped, while I had James on my arm, and Sarah close by. I had the door halfway opened, and thought back to what Natasha just said. Sarah asked "What's wrong, Daddy?"

I looked down at her grey eyes, and smiled. I said "Nothing baby...Just thought I forgot something, that's all. Now don't touch anything now, we don't wanna get this place all dirty, do we?"

She shook her head and said "No.." I said "Okay. I thinks it's bath time now, guys." And gently pushed the door closed all the way, hearing it lock in place behind me.

 

 

_**END OF BOOK ONE** _

 

 

 


	46. ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END (BUT NEW THINGS ARE BORN EVERY DAY)

_**I want to thank you guys so much for reading, and I'm so happy I didn't give up on this story. I know, I was getting lazy with it, I honestly was gonna quit it. But I never knew I could shape and mold it into how it is now, and how much work I've gotten done this past week or so!! I've got 11 chapters written and posted today!! 11!!** _

_**I'm sad I have to end this part of the story here, but it's not over yet. No, no, it's not over, so stay tuned ;).** _

**_It really made me feel better knowing that even when I was at my bad place, you just kept reading it. Even if I wouldn't update for a week or two. I just snapped out of it, grew a pair, and I'm really happy I did :3. Otherwise, I'd have let this beautiful piece from my own, weird mind, wither away :'(._ **

**_But DON'T BE SAD!!! People don't say "Death is only the beginning" for just shits and giggles! This part of our story, ends. It dies. But it lives because you read. You read it, re-read it, so do I. And tomorrow, I'll begin work for the sequal! Or part two, whatever floats your boat! :p._ **

**_I may wait a few chapters before posting it, but I'm so excited to get to work on it!! Although I'm kind of stuck trying to think of a name for this new one, and it may or may not be as long as book one._ **

**_But I'll get it figured out!! :3._ **

**_Goodnight everyone, thank you so much!!_ **

**_I love you!!!!! <3_ **


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